Offensive Line Coach Bob Wylie PressConference Transcript
Introductory Press Conference
January 22, 2005
Opening Statement:
“It is good to be here. It feels good to be back in college football. Greg (Robinson) called me some years back, when I was at Tampa Bay and he was in line for the UCLA job and said ‘Come on, come on, we’ll go to college football and have a great time together.’ It didn’t work out and I moved on to Cincinnati and Greg went to other places. He called me again and said, ‘Are you ready to go back to college football?’ I said, ‘I am ready now.’ Syracuse is a great place to be, it is committed to football. We have an athletic director here that is a football guy, who was with us (Greg Robinson and Bob Wylie) at the Jets, Daryl. He knows what it takes to win. This place has a football history, so this is a great place to come if you are going back to college football. Syracuse University is an excellent school. Greg said he wanted to get some older guys on the staff. He has a lot of young pups, so he hired a grandfather. I am a new grandfather.
“I enjoy coaching. I am energetic and have been doing it for a long time. I am one of the few guys in the NFL that has coached on every level. I started coaching Pop Warner football, then I was a junior high school football coach, then a high school football coach, then a part-time coach in college, then I got hired at Brown University and Holy Cross College and for 31 years I have been roaming around. Syracuse is a nice place to live and a good city.”
On why he is ready now to go back to college football:
“Greg (Robinson) is a good friend. And, pro football is not like it used to be. Things happen in pro football where they tell you, ‘Hey, you have to play this guy.’ In college football, you pick your guys. You go out and get the guys that best fit what you want to do. The country is big and you can find them all over the place. And New York is a big state, you can get them right out of your own backyard – New York, New Jersey and the surrounding states. It is a lot of fun to watch the kids develop.”
On his first interaction with offensive coordinator Brian Pariani:
“We come from the same philosophy, but we may call it a little differently. Brian just wanted to see if the terminology fit together and if my philosophy matched his. It meshed together nicely. The philosophy on protections was close and the way we talked was really good.”
Is the relationship between offensive line coach and offensive coordinator important:
“I think they are all important. I don’t think it is just the offensive coordinator and the line coach. I think all the positions need to be involved if you want to make it work. Everybody has to be on the same page. The communication has to go through the whole offensive staff.”
On his magic background:
“Basically, it started in 1990 when I was with the New York Jets. I stopped by this little magic store in Union Station and I bought a couple little tricks. Fifteen years later, I have books, videos and I was on stage twice with David Copperfield. Most guys would have pictures of offensive lineman in their offices, and I have a signed picture of David Copperfield.”
On what he knows about his players:
“I took a media guide and a roster and highlighted who the guys are. I am going to study on the plane going back and try to get a little information about each one of them. I will be back here on Tuesday night.”
On if he feels like he is going back to his roots:
“Well, my roots go way back to Pop Warner football. I wasn’t a former player where someone said, ‘Hey you can have job.’ I had to go coach Pop Warner, junior high and high school. I kind of came as a lunch box guy, up through the ranks. I was very fortunate to run into some good coaches who helped me along the way.”
On his coaching style:
“I don’t know. It is probably different than what you are used to seeing. It is discipline, but it is also a style that the kids will remember, really quick, if they did something wrong.”
On George DeLeone:
“I worked with George in 1984 at Holy Cross College. I have known George for 20 years or so. We have been close friends and he has brought me in to talk football. And I have called him up on occasions and talked football. We have always remained close friends.”
On his blocking schemes:
“We will run a gambit of things. We have not actually sat down and talked specifics. When Brian gets back we will sit down and open the play book and figure out what we are doing.”
On seeing the progression of kids through college:
“I was very fortunate to have Jason Fabini. I watched Jason get on the right track. People would ask me, ‘What do you think, can he play tackle?’ I would say ‘Yes, he can play tackle in this league.’ He doesn’t have any wasted motion or movements. He knows just where to go and his angles are good. I can get them to where they want to be, if they listen and they want to work.”
On where he will recruit:
“Greg (Robinson) has talked to me about recruiting Long Island and the Boston area. Which are areas that I am familiar with.”
