2005 SU Football Student-Athlete Remarks
2005 SU Football Media Day Interview Transcript
Perry Patterson
On the first morning out…
“I felt good out there today, I feel real good about the situation right now. The team’s looking really good everybody’s pumped up and ready to go.”
On quarterback situation with Joe Fields…
“What I’ve been told? I’m not going to tell anything I’ve been told. I’m just going to say that I have things to work on and I’m just going to keep on working at it and things will work out good.”
On having competition with Joe Fields at practice….
“I think the competition is good. I know it will help me stay on top of my game. It won’t let me relax or anything like that.”
On what he needs to work on….
“Consistency and being efficient, especially running the west coast offense. It’s just about getting the ball to the receivers as soon as possible in open areas and making them look good so it’s just about being the leader of the offense and working on my mechanics and efficiency.”
On his leadership role…
“Coach always says I’m a natural leader. I’m more vocal than I was last year, but I’m not up in guys faces, I just do what my personality is and guys seem to respond to it. I don’t get on anybody; I just try and help them as much as I can.”
On how the offense fits his game…
“Yeah it definitely fits my game. I mean unless you run a 4.4, the option just isn’t for you. I wanted to be more of a pro-style drop back quarterback anyway. Coach Pariani was talking about if we want to make it to the next level that things we’re doing right now will prepare us for it so he’s always comparing the next level to us and it gets us all motivated and excited because most guys want to play at the next level.”
Joe Fields
On quarterback situation…
“Let’s just put all the rumors to rest and let me just say it’s great to be back with my teammates and getting ready for the upcoming season. I’m not sure where I’m at, it’s up to coach Robinson.”
On changes at SU…
“We were just out at the field and it’s a major upgrade from last year, just a different type of atmosphere, its like 180 degree turn from last year so everyone’s just excited. It’s the same change the coaches bring, and hopefully everything will help us down the road in getting bigger and stronger and also on the recruiting end to bring in recruits for years to come.”
On new style of offense…
“First of all I think I can play in any type of offense it’s just about getting comfortable on offense. That’s basically it. I feel I can play here.”
On this past off-season…
“I worked on everything…conditioning, speed, fundamentals, throwing and running and just doing it all.”
On team’s excitement entering camp…
“Yeah the whole team is focused. Nobody is really down and dreading camp, everyone’s excited to see what coach Robinson’s going to do. You know its going be more fun and up beat than last season.”
On opening day versus West Virginia….
“It’s no tougher game than the one we had last year. We respect all our opponents so we’re just going to prepare and give it all we got and go out and try and win the game.”
Damien Rhodes
On being a back-up to start his career…
“It was frustrating at times but at the same time when I got in there, I had to take advantage of the time I did get. Every time I’d get on the field I’d do anything I could to help us win.”
On growing up in Syracuse and playing at SU…
“To be honest when I was real young, like in middle school, I never thought I’d go to Syracuse. I thought I would go somewhere else. Then I started getting recruited so I started thinking about being the local player or kind of hometown boy and hopefully go out and lead our team to a championship. To be a major part of that is something that would be very fulfilling both personally and to my family. As long as I can continue to be blessed by God and my team continues to perform and we play to the best of our abilities week in and week out and be able to win ball games.”
“I was at the Dome every Saturday watching games. It wasn’t like I didn’t follow it or nothing I just never thought I would play here.”
On pressure of being a hometown star at SU…
“It’s a lot of pressure, because you’re someone they can relate to. They know your face and they can point their finger at me. Someone told me this summer that if we lose people are going to look to you first. At the same time that doesn’t put any more pressure on me than I put on myself. I put more pressure on myself than anyone has ever put on me so the fans and the media…their pressure and criticism isn’t going to hurt me as much as my own will.”
Was there a time you had doubts about coming here?
“You can never have doubts because everything you do is for a reason. Me getting hurt happened for a reason. You can never doubt what happens to you. You can’t go back in time, you just have to learn from it and try and make things better. I’m just going to use that as a learning experience to get ready for this year.”
Steve Gregory
On the schedule…
“I love it, I think everyone loves it. We just want to play some really good teams and prove that we are that good. If you don’t play quality teams like that people will still doubt you. The tougher the competition the better for us.”
Difference in camp between Robinson and coach Pasqualoni….
“Well it’s still early, I mean it’s the first day. But it seems like it’s going to be a lot more mental learning than the physical stuff. It’s still going to be a physical camp don’t get me wrong, we’re still going to be out there working at sweating and getting down to the grind. I just think it’s going to be a lot of mental work.”
On switching from offense back to defense…
“It’s something I’ve been looking forward to doing since I did it. I got to go through spring drills doing it and now I’m just really looking forward to the season and getting into camp and working harder and getting better than I am.”
On the experience on the defense…
“It’s definitely a strength…It’s huge. Anytime you can bring back that many players who played in that many games and have that type of experience is only going to help you out. You learn from experience so that will only help us out this year.”
Anthony Smith
On producing results…
“It will help us having better facilities. But nothing matters, like practice facilities and all if you don’t go out and perform on game days.”
On the strong Orange defense…
“Defense is going to be the strength of the team. We’re going to try and get the offense the ball back as many times as we can. We have nine defensive starters returning so it’s a defensive strength team.”
On tough schedule…
“It doesn’t change our approach. We come out and prepare for every game the same. We don’t treat one team different from another. I love the strength of our schedule. That’s what I came here for, to play against big schools.”
Justin Outten
On offensive line coach Bob Wylie…
“He’s a more laid back coach but he really knows his stuff. He’s a great guy to get along with off the field, too. I mean you walk into his meeting room and he’s got stuffed animals and little play toys. He builds a relationship with you that makes you want to play for him, you want to win for him. He’s like a father figure.”
How west coast offense affects the offensive line…
“It’s better in the sense that we don’t have to remember three plays at once. Instead we can have one or two and master those and just do our thing. It’s better for us mentally and if you know what you’re going to do you’re going to go harder and stronger.”
Tanard Jackson
On the new coaching staff…
“It’s working out well. Coaches are trusting our abilities and we are trusting their coaching styles and it’s working together right now I think. We’ll see how it progresses through training camp.”
On what kind of defense Orange fans can expect to see this season…
“I hope people see us as a great tackling defense and a just real aggressive defense.”
Joe Kowalewski
Advantage of so many new changes….
“It’s definitely an advantage but we need to work hard in camp and know exactly what we’re doing because it’s all new stuff and if we’re not gelling out there as an offensive or defensive unit and guys aren’t sure about assignments, then it could work against us. But I definitely think it’s a positive.
On leadership on the team…
“I think coach Robinson put an emphasis on all the seniors stepping up and doing whatever we can. Juniors and sophomores even, if you see someone slacking, you have to get on them and everyone needs to pick each other up. Right now all of us seniors are like one big captain and we’re all making sure everyone is staying in line and doing things the right way because this is our team this year.”
Landel Bembo
On coach Robinson…
“I think he’s a little more laid back a more personable guy. He has a lot of one on one conversation with his players and gets to know you instead of just being a number and a name. He just has a lot of one on one talks with the guys. We have a lot of fun things. There are a lot of different things…a lot more fun in practice. It’s not such hard work and we will be more rested for the games during the season.”
How west coast offense is plays to his strengths…
“I think it’s going to help our receivers a lot because it’s a lot of short passes. You get the ball in the hands of your playmakers and let them make plays versus having to have a great offensive line and drop back and make deep passes.
On excitement entering camp…
“It’s a whole new regime around here, it’s a whole new era. We’ve got new pads, new uniforms, new shoes, new helmets and a whole new BIG EAST.
James Wyche
On being nominated for preseason awards…
“I don’t look at the magazines or being All-American or whatever. I want to go out and have a good year and enjoy my last year. Expectations about All-American and having set goals and everything, we set our goals during the summer and all the senior class has certain goals that we wanted to discuss and what it takes to get it done and that’s what we’re doing right now.”
Coach Robinson’s message to the team thus far…
“All the seniors are captains and to help the freshman know what they need to get done not just on the field but off the field too. Just to do what it takes to have a good season, whatever it takes.”
Thoughts on the defensive line…
“We’ve got some good players coming in and some players returning like Kader Drame who runs to the ball and shows excitement to the field and coach Robinson gives so much energy on the defensive end. Coach Cross brings so much energy in the film room and showing us so many things that we have to learn about opponents and it’s just a lot of energy right now and you’ve got a lot of guys going to the ball. Not only Kader but Tony Jenkins, who’s stepping it up battling and Ryan LaCasse on the other side.
Kelvin Smtih
How confident he feels about being a starter heading into opening day…
“Real confident you know I compete, that’s what I’m here for. I expect everyone else on this team to feel the same way, it’s football that’s how you’re supposed to feel.”
“When you have good coaches and they break it down to you the right way it’s just so easy to learn and that’s what makes a good coach. The easier they make it for you to learn, the faster you’re going to learn.”
Tim Lane
Personal expectations for this season…
“I just want to go out and contribute and play. If I’m playing at receiver or special teams, anyway I can help the team. Personally I could care less about individual statistics as long as we’re winning.”
On the new west coast offense…
“It’s nice, it’s a lot less confusing. Gives you a chance to go out a play a little bit more you don’t have to think quite as much. The last offense took me a year to learn, this offense took me about three weeks to learn, so it’s a big difference.”
How important is timing in the new offense…
“Very important. It’s not about how fast you are but rather can you get to the right spot at the right time. Our receivers are an important part to this offense as well as the tight ends and running backs. When we get our opportunities we have to make the most of them.”
On Coach Robinson…
“He’s an amazing person and an amazing coach. I talk to him about football but I also talk to him about just regular things and I like that kind of relationship with a coach. He seems to have that relationship with a lot of players on the team and it just makes it easier to follow him on the field. He’s a great guy and really enthusiastic and he knows exactly what he wants.”
