Press Conference Comments from Michigan Football Players
12/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Player Comments from
Weekly U-M Football Media Luncheon
Previewing Rose Bowl vs. Texas (Jan. 1)
Fifth-Year Senior Offensive Lineman David Baas
On matchup with Texas ... "I think it's a great matchup. It's great that two programs with such history are going to meet for the first time. It's going to be a great test. It's going to be a great game. "I think they are a good college team. They have a great (running) back. I think their defense is good. They've got some big guys and their linebackers can run. We have to keep up the tempo and get on blocks because they are really quick. It's like playing Ohio State or San Diego State because their linebackers are really fast."
On Derrick Johnson ... He's an excellent linebacker. He can move, he can run, he's a great tackler. We have to get him blocked."
On motivation after losing to Ohio State ... "Definitely, there is some motivation. You don't want to end with a loss. The feeling last year after the Rose Bowl was not a good one, and we don't want to repeat that this year. I think there is a lot of motivation going into this one."
On Texas-Cal controversy ... "We can't control that whole system. Either team would have been a great team to play. We're happy we're playing Texas."
On looking back at last year's Rose Bowl ... "We looked at it awhile ago. It is something you look at, address and move on. Right now we're watching Texas film and getting ready for them."
On motivation for the game ... "It's definitely a motivator to end our season the right way. It doesn't matter what happened last year. We want to end the season the right way with a victory. We're going to do everything we can to get prepared."
On the senior class ... "I think there has been some great leadership out there. We stuck together. We had some young guys playing so we had to keep their heads up and keep their confidence levels up. There have been struggles on all sides of the ball and I think the seniors have kept everybody together. I think we've done a good job this year, making sure we are focused and winning this championship. Hopefully we keep providing that senior leadership, that way we can get prepared for the Rose Bowl and go out there and do our best."
On what he'll remember most about career here ... "Just the feeling of being out there with my teammates. The emotion of being on the field with my teammates. The emotion of the whole game, the excitement, the stadium, and the fans. Pretty much everything. It is going to be something special to end it the right way."
On his role of captain now ... "I think the captains and the seniors have to emphasize the importance of being focused and being prepared. I'm not saying they will go our way, but we can get prepared for them to go our way. And that is what we need to do."
On going to Rose Bowl this year compared to going last year ... "I wouldn't say that it is any easier. It's a completely different opponent, completely different schedule. I think the way that we are practicing, we're getting focused. It doesn't matter who has been out there or any of that. It comes down to what kind of people we are."
On decision to come back for senior season ... "I came back to be a champion. I stuck it out with my team and we got another Big Ten Championship. I'd love to be able to sing the Victors at the Rose Bowl. I here it something special, but I haven't gotten to experience it yet. I want my team to be able to."
Senior Offensive Lineman Matt Lentz
On Texas ... "Texas is a good, solid defense and great offensive team. Johnson, the linebacker, he can run. I've watched him on tape and he can go and tackle a player from a play away. He's got some great speed. They've got two great inside guys with (Larry) Dibbles and (Rodrique) Wright. It's going to be a great battle for us up front."
On learning from last year's Rose Bowl ... "Walking out of that stadium, watching USC celebrate a national championship, seeing that confetti and watching the crowds go crazy, is something you'll always remember. The way the seniors went out last year was really hard for me. It was a disappointment leaving the stadium last year."
On being more prepared since they were there the year before ... "I will be. It will be different, because Detroit was the biggest city I had ever been to. Going out to L.A. was a whole shock to me. That's no excuse, but getting used to the setting and everything else was tough. (That experience) is something we are going to have in our back pocket, because we are making back to back trips out there."
On distractions last year ... "I don't think there were any distractions last year. We're out there to have fun, but we're out there to win a game. Everybody enjoyed themselves, which is nice, but I don't think there were any distractions. We just didn't play our best game that day."
On what kind of trip this will be ... "We're still going to the Rose Bowl. Baas, I and the offensive lineman are looking forward to it this year, too. We're out there to have a good time, but when it is time to practice we go there fully focused and get to work."
On Jake Long from first game starting to now ... "He's definitely learned the schemes better. His first game, as an older guy, I helped out clarifying anything. His knowledge of the game has improved and how to play actual physical football. I'm very proud of him, because he is from Lapeer and that is real close to where I grew up. It is kind of like another hometown guy I'm playing with. There is a bond between offensive lineman, but especially the one who is right next to you. I think he'll be really good. If he keeps on improving, he's going to another force on the right side next year for us. Hopefully he'll have his best game in the Rose Bowl, too."
On extra practice time for the young guys ... "Each practice is good. There is a lot of emphasis on the younger guys. They get their time to shine in these practices. From my experiences when I was going through it, I never took so many reps. It is a good opportunity for these guys to step up and show what they can do."
On offensive line adjustments after last year's Rose Bowl ... "We just got to use better technique. That wasn't the way we'd like to go out, with just 65 yards (rushing). We'll take a look at the tape and we're looking to improve on that."
Fifth-Year Senior Linebacker Roy Manning
On quarterback Vince Young ..."He's an outstanding quarterback, outstanding speed. He makes plays for their team. He has a great arm and can throw it over your head, throw it down the field while he's running. He's just an exceptional athlete."
On if Young looks to run first every play ... "I think he looks to throw a little bit. They have plays set up for him to run, and similar to Michigan State, where they have set designed plays for their quarterback to run the ball and then has the option to do both."
On if the defense can stop Young ... "We're definitely up for the challenge. We just want to contain him and try to take him out of the game. We've been hurt in the past by mobile quarterbacks. The defense is looking forward to this game and this challenge we have."
On how the defense is viewing the game ..."We're looking up to the challenge. They have excellent people on offense -- their quarterback, the Doak Walker winner in Cedric Benson, they have some good linemen and tight ends that can run. The defense knows. We're kind of pinning this game on us. We know we have to do our part. Our offense, they have to do their part too, but we're looking up to the challenge."
On running back Cedric Benson ..."He's big, he's fast. He's everything you could probably want. Like an NFL running back, he has a lot of speed. He can run over you or run past you. He makes excellent cuts. He's definitely not going to go down with an arm tackle. That's one of the things I've seen on film. We most definitely have a challenge but we're looking forward to it. We're excited about playing Texas."
On how Texas rates compared to other teams they have played this year ... "This is probably the best team we've played all season. They're ranked No. 5 in the country. It's with great respect that we're going into this game knowing who we're playing and knowing the people that they have. They're an excellent team and have a lot of tradition just like us. It's going to be a great game."
On what he personally wants out of the game ... "I just want to win. I remember last year and it's still in the back of my head a little bit, just ending the season like that on a loss. I'm a senior, this is my last game and I don't want to go out there again and lose. For me, the biggest thing is I just want to win. I don't care how we get it done. I want to walk off that field with a win on January 1."
On how he views his senior season ... "It's been a great time with all these guys. We've had great senior leadership. Captains David Baas and Marlin Jackson, they've been excellent leaders for this team. All the seniors have gotten together on numerous occasions and talked about team goals and keeping the team together because it's a long season. I'm just proud of the way these guys have fought through these 11 games this season."
On what things need to change based on last year's Rose Bowl game ..."I don't know specifics, really. But when it came down to the game we didn't perform to our best. We didn't get the job done. This year we definitely are going out there with the mindset that this is a business trip. We're going out there to do one thing and that's win. I think it's to our advantage that we went last year. Most of the guys have been out there to L.A. They've seen the sights and stuff like that. Personally for me, it's a business trip this year. All I want to do is win."
On how the pageantry of the Rose Bowl affects the players ..."You get caught up in that a little bit. For a lot of guys they haven't been to such a large city. There are so many things to do and so many places to go. For those guys returning this year they'll probably be more focused, not to say that they weren't focused last year. Guys are going out with the mentality that we've been here before' and hopefully that is to our advantage."
Fifth-Year Senior Punter Adam Finley
On being named Academic-All America ... "I didn't give it a whole lot of thought. It's a great honor, but I try not to think of too may postseason types of things until they happen."
On if he will pursue a career in the NFL ... "I'd like to try my best and see what happens and give it a good, solid shot. After that I can fall on my degree."
On what he wants to do with his biomedical engineering degree ... "Ideally, I'd like to get into artificial joints and artificial limbs. Research and design and maybe do a little bit of research into organ replacement types of things."
On how he got into biomedical engineering ... "I have always been pretty curious with how the body functions and how it controls itself and how it's put together. I think it is the ultimate engineering, the human body. It is always going to be a challenging task to re-create what has been given to us. I don't think we can ever actually get to that point, but we can get as close as possible. Just being around it so much with sports and everything else with so many injuries and everything else, it is one of those areas I'd like to get into in terms of prevention of injuries and helping in quality of life situations."
On the senior class ... "I think it has been a great senior class. I have really enjoyed going through my career with them and we have all grown up through the years. It's kind of neat to see how people in our grade go from that role of being the freshman and trying to contribute and working hard and then all of a sudden there they are leading this team and being in the forefront of the team."
On winning the final game ... "I think it's incredibly important. I think everybody is really concentrated and raring to go for this game and really excited about the game. It's neat to get to go back out to the Rose Bowl and get to finish there. It's really important to finish out our career as a winner."
On Texas' punt return team ... "They have a great punt return unit. They are doing a lot of good things. They bring a lot of different rushes and looks. They will start in different formations. Like with every great team they will have a great return set up. It is one of those things where you have to be prepared for everything and try to figure out everything on the field and be accountable for all aspects of the punt return."
On what Texas shows in terms of formations ... "They like different formations. They are definitely going to come after you at times and they are going to return at times. They do both very well, so we are going to have to prepare and be ready for them."
On if this game will be more of a business trip than fun ... "I think every bowl game is pretty much a business trip. I think this year we are a lot more focused. I feel like we have a great drive for this game and we all are really excited about it this year. We have really focused on trying to finish out with a big win."
On why the team is more excited this year ... "I think there are a lot of things. I think last year, not sending those seniors out with a victory left us down a little bit. We don't want to see that happen again. I think we've had a great year. Obviously you want to do well and represent the Big Ten well at the Rose Bowl. I think everybody wants to have their best game in their last game, so all the seniors are really up for this game and will hopefully do well. I think all the underclassmen saw what happened last year and really want to make sure that doesn't happen again."
On if the team was less focused last year ... "I think last year we were a little less focused than we would have liked to have been in retrospect. Hopefully this year we can avoid a lot of those types of situations and hopefully get into a lot more film watching and a lot more preparation.."
On if the lack of focus was because it was a trip to the Rose Bowl ... "I think there is a lot of things you can blame it on. I think not being to the Rose Bowl in a long time was a factor. I don't think that anyone on that team had been to the Rose Bowl in their career. It was just exciting to get out of Florida to the get to go to California with a new setting and a new atmosphere. The hotel and all the surrounding aspects of it provided a different level of distraction that we weren't used to. Hopefully this year we will be a little more prepared and conquer it a little better."
On if the Rose Bowl lived up to its hype last year ... "I think the Rose Bowl is definitely an unbelievable bowl game. I definitely like the Rose Bowl over all the other bowls, minus the losing. It is definitely the best bowl game that I have been a part of. I think it really does live up to its mystique."
On if Texas will understand the game being outside of the Big Ten or Pac-10 ... "I'm not real sure on that. I know that they are definitely going to be excited for a BCS game no matter where it is at. That in itself has its own mystique so if they didn't see it as Big Ten/Pac 10, they are going to have their own mystique and they are going to come ready to play."
Senior Tight End Tim Massaquoi
On if the Ohio State game is a motivator ... "Personally, going into this game, it is not the same feeling or the same mood as last year. We won the Big Ten and everything, but it's just that last game we didn't play our best. As a team, we feel that we still have something to prove to the nation that we are a great football team. We have an opportunity to play against a great team in Texas. I think it is a motivator because we are going to go out there and try to play better than we played our last game."
On if how the team is going to the Rose Bowl makes a difference ... "It makes you a lot hungrier. The thing about it is, you have one more game to play in a great bowl game in the Rose Bowl. Hopefully we will play our best game."
On if he can feel the difference with his teammates ... "We are a lot hungrier. We refocused and we have had some good practices. Going into this game we are very excited."
On the Texas defense ... "They just make plays. It seems like their linebackers just get to the football real fast. They come under blocks and make tackles for loss and things like that. They are a real fast defense and they have great athletes there. We are going to have to play our best game and play at top speed to have a chance."
On who they are comparable to that Michigan has played ... "I don't think anybody. They're in a different conference so they play different football. I think they main thing is that they have a lot of speed on that defense. We just have to go out there, play good football and do what we can do."
On what the differences are ... "I think that the offense down there has a lot of great athletes. They have a lot of great quarterbacks that can move around, they are used to that type of offense. We have a freshman here who is a stay-in-the-pocket kind of guy. Football is still football, but the way they go about things is a little bit different."
On the experience at the Rose Bowl ... "I loved the experience at the Rose Bowl. I think everything we did down there was a great experience and we had a lot of fun. The only think I would change is the outcome."
On what the teams needs to do to focus more ... "I think a lot of guys, including myself, we hadn't been to the West Coast. It is a different thing. You get a little star struck and the main thing is to focus while we are there. It's great to have a good time, but you still have to focus on the main issue and that's to try and get a win in our last game."
On if the final game is emotional ... "Yeah, especially for me because a lot of the guys I came in with are leaving. I think the main thing is that you want to send those guys out with a win in the Rose Bowl. We just have to re-focus and try and get this win. That really is the difference."
On not knowing if Michigan was playing Texas or Cal ... "I think that's how it worked out and that's who we are going to play. It doesn't change what we want to do. We want to go out and win no matter who it was. The main thing is going out there focused and whether it was Cal or Texas really didn't matter."
On if there is anything special about a Michigan-Texas meeting ... "It is special. You have two great programs with a lot of tradition playing for the first time. There is going to be a lot of hype around it. I think the main focus for both teams is to try to go out and win. They are trying to get a win just as bad as we are."
Senior Wide Receiver Braylon Edwards
On playing against a football program with great tradition ... "It will be fun. You always like to play teams with great tradition. Ohio State and Notre Dame are always fun games for us. Having a chance to play a team like Texas, especially when this is the first time the two teams will meet, is going to be something special. Not only are we playing Texas, but we get to play them in the Rose Bowl, which is the best bowl game out there. It's going to be a lot of fun."
On the advantage of playing in the Rose Bowl for two straight years ... "We've got experience and we know what to do. We now know what it takes to win this game and we know the environment and atmosphere and how it's going to be. More importantly, we have to be sure not to lose sight of our goal like last year. We just have to go out and practice, keep focus and have January 1st on our minds at all times. Then we just have to go out and take care of business in the game."
On whether he thinks about playing in his last U-M game next month ... "To be honest, I can't believe it's over. It's really come and gone. I still remember the recruiting process to come here. I still remember the transfer from King to Bishop Gallagher. In terms of this being my last game, I've thought about it a little bit. After I leave the field on January 1st, I'll never be able to put this jersey and this helmet on again, unless I play in the Senior Bowl. I have great memories, but I've put it all on the backburner and have tried to just think about the game at hand."
On what he has gained from coming back for his senior season ... "I've gained respect from the media. It's hard to earn your respect and I think I've done that this year."
On his relationship with Texas players ... "I actually got a chance to meet some of the guys this summer. I've been able to keep in touch with them all year, steady contact ... maybe once or twice a week. When we found out we were playing these guys, Cedric Benson called me right after the selection show and I talked to him for a while. Then I got a chance to see him at the All-American awards down in Orlando. We had fun together and talked, but once we get there, it's going to be all business. We're going to have to put our friendship on hold. We're all sportsmen and it's just about going out there and having fun. Whoever plays the hardest is going to win that game on that day."
On what he would tell a player who is thinking about leaving school early ... "Everybody's situation is different. You can't just say I came back and did this and it will also work for you.' Everybody has to assess their own situation, their own needs and wants, their academic and family situations. A lot of people won't be so close to graduating as I was and won't be as academically involved as I was. A lot of people won't even have to weigh their options because coming back will be the best thing for them. When they ask me, I just tell them to assess their situation. What's the best situation for you When you wake up, wherever you are, you don't want to regret it. You don't want to go to the NFL and then wish you were still in school. But you don't want to be in college and not have your mind on school and wish you were in the NFL. The best situation is the one you aren't going to regret."
On the future of Chad Henne at Michigan ... "He's going to be a great player. He's one of those guys who is tough. I call him an old-school' football player. He'll get hit in the mouth and get right back up and keep fighting. The more and more he's playing in this system, the better he is becoming on his own. He's getting better with his reads and he's learning how to move and scramble and he's getting more confidence. You can tell when a guy is getting back to high school mode, when he knows he's the man'. I see that in him now. I'd say in the next year and a half, he'll be a phenomenal player here."
On not getting involved in the offense until late in the game against Ohio State ... "It depends on the game plan and the way we script things out. When certain plays aren't working for us, like the short passes and the screen plays, then we'll have to change things up. Everything we were doing was working, it was just working at a slower pace then we would like. We'll definitely work on that for the Rose Bowl."
On his relationship with his senior teammates ... "These are great guys and that was another reason that made me come back. On the next level, there isn't any camaraderie like this. In the NFL, guys play together in practice and in the games then go home to their wife and kids. If you're a rookie, you go home to a lonely environment. Just being around guys like Marlin (Jackson), Ernest (Shazor) and Tim (Massaquoi), guys that I've known forever, it's a great situation. I can go over to their houses if I'm bored and they all come over to my house and relax and just watch some TV. It's just a lot of fun and to leave this brotherhood is the biggest thing I will miss about the University of Michigan."
On his impressions of Texas' defensive backs ... "Their whole team is very athletic and very fast. I think that's what they thrive on. I don't really think they have any holes. I think their defense is pretty sound and I've seen them play against Oklahoma. If you say that their defensive backs are their biggest weakness, well Oklahoma didn't do too well against them and they have one of the better receiving corps in the nation. I think Texas definitely has the ability to match us and play good ball. It's going to be a good one."
On whether he ever envisioned having the kind of success he's had ... "When I was in middle school and high school, I just always knew that I was going to come to Michigan and wear No. 1. It's just something that had been embedded in me since I was young. Just coming here and doing all this, is kind of like living out what I knew was going to happen."
On what else he has left to include his U-M legacy ... "Just to win the big one. I think my legacy is pretty much complete. I think I've done everything I wanted to do and we've accomplished everything as a team. The one thing now is to win the Rose Bowl. That would be the finishing touch."
On whether this year's bowl game is different because they lost last season ... "It's not different because we lost last year; it's different because we were there last year. Even if we would have won, it would be different because we're experienced now. The guys we have out there, especially the guys who played last year, know what it takes. It has nothing to do with losing last year. We lost to Ohio State a couple weeks ago, but that's over and done with and we're not worried about that. All we're worried about is Texas and changing our mindset from the one we had last year."
On whether he feels he needs to defend his Biletnikoff Award ... "In one sense, I don't feel that I have to defend anything. I've shown time and time again that I definitely deserve the award. They gave me the award because of my accomplishments on the field. So, I don't feel like I have to prove anything. At the same time, I know that I need to step up in order for us to win this game. The guys that were in Orlando, like Marlin (Jackson), Ernest (Shazor) and David (Baas), we definitely have to step up for this team and show them what it's going to take to win this game. It's more about being a senior, a veteran and a leader."
On whether he has prepared Chad Henne for the atmosphere of the Rose Bowl ... "I talked to him and Mike (Hart) already and I'll continue to talk to them as we progress. The main thing I told them is that it's just a regular game. It's the Rose Bowl and it's going to be a party atmosphere with a lot of people and a lot of fans. But at the end of the day, it's just football. It's what we do seven days a week. I'm trying to get them to understand that. Chad's a smart guy and he doesn't get caught up in all the hype. So, he'll be okay."
Media Contacts: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
