Head Coach Greg Robinson Press Conference (November 20, 2007)
Opening statement:
"We're getting into the Cincinnati preparation. I'll take this time to recognize our honorary captain this week – Roland Williams. He's an outstanding tight end. My experience with Roland is really through Dick Vermeil, who coached him with the (St. Louis) Rams. I know Dick saw Roland as a very special individual; not just as an outstanding football player. As a matter of fact, we brought him to Kansas City when he was a free agent. (smiling) I think we let the Raiders outbid us, which was not good. Roland is involved in a lot of different things, specifically his charity that he's hard at work with the community and children. It's really good stuff and we're honored to have Roland be a part of our weekend. I look forward to him showing up."
"We're getting into the Cincinnati preparation. I'll take this time to recognize our honorary captain this week – Roland Williams. He's an outstanding tight end. My experience with Roland is really through Dick Vermeil, who coached him with the (St. Louis) Rams. I know Dick saw Roland as a very special individual; not just as an outstanding football player. As a matter of fact, we brought him to Kansas City when he was a free agent. (smiling) I think we let the Raiders outbid us, which was not good. Roland is involved in a lot of different things, specifically his charity that he's hard at work with the community and children. It's really good stuff and we're honored to have Roland be a part of our weekend. I look forward to him showing up."
On the final week of the season:
"It's one more opportunity for us to see if we can go out and put our best foot forward. The last time I really felt like we put a full game together where offense, defense and kicking game were working on all cylinders was the Buffalo game. It would be great to go out that way. It's really a matter that you have to get your mind right. You have to prepare properly because we have a real good football team rolling in here. I will tell you that from just everything I see, including yesterday – a lot of people coming through the building. It looked like every Monday that are we preparing. It's good to feel our team has that mindset."
On the senior class's legacy:
"The legacy is really that they fight the fight. I think those seniors who will be on that field come Saturday, I can tell you straight from my heart that I know they have paid the price. There have been some who really had to get themselves right whenever it was – in different times in their careers – and they have. Anybody who comes out there on Saturday, I will tell you that I feel very strongly about the effort and the commitment that every one of them has made. There are some names that are like household names. Then there are some who really don't get much credit at all. I want to commend them as strongly as anybody else because that's hard – it's a hard thing. I appreciate their efforts, but I also like seeing the growth and the maturity in a lot of these young people. And I have seen major growth as athletes and as people. They're going to be Syracuse graduates. They have played football at Syracuse University and that's what the legacy is all about. There have been many teams that have struggled, but still outstanding young people have come through this program and have been a part of the things that are our foundation – the shoulders on which we stand of those before us. I do think it's a group that has paid a dear price. They've work very hard."
On Cincinnati's defensive backs:
"The two that jump out at you are (Mike) Mickens and (Haruki) Nakamura. They probably get the most notice. They play well. I see so much improvement in Nakamura from one year to the next that I've really been impressed. I say this in fairness to those guys, I've been a part of leading the country in interceptions or leading the NFL or all of that and a lot of that has to do with the people up in front. Pass rush is the best friend of the secondary. I do think they do a good job up front. Those front four put press on you and they can reap benefits because that ball has to come out. But I do think they're good players and a couple of them have futures down the road. A lot of that works with the total defense."
On playing against quarterback Ben Mauk for the second consecutive year even though he is on a new team (Wake Forest to Cincinnati):
"It is kind of crazy that you play a guy at one school and study him all summer and get ready for him and then all of a sudden you're playing against him a year later at another place. Unfortunately (smiling), he's done a real fine job for them. I say unfortunate for the teams he's played against. He's had a real fine year."
On if there was a setback in sophomore quarterback Andrew Robinson's comfort level with is rib injury:
"I'll know more today. Andrew is tough and he's trying to work through this deal. He's not talking much about it like he has any issues. I'm going to take him for his word."
On defensive tackle Arthur Jones' injury update:
"I don’t' know right now."
On Max Suter moving back to defense:
"I mentioned before that I'm moving Max back over to defense (safety) this week. This is where we need Max. I mentioned that when we moved him over (to running back) during the bye week it was kind of just to make sure we had some insurance. We saw some flashes and kept taking a look at him and thought this could be a good thing. Really, we need him to be on the other side of the ball."
On if Mauk will be motivated after getting injured while at Wake Forest against Syracuse last season:
"(smiling) Quite frankly, I think he's going to come and thank us because now he got to go to Cincinnati and play an extra year at Cincinnati. I hate to make a joke about it because when it happened I saw it clearly. I saw him dive into that pile to grab the ball on the fumble and I saw him put his arm in there and I could tell it was not going to be good. I remember our team walking over there to him, when they got him on the stretcher, trying to comfort him. I think in fairness that was a real tough blow to that guy and for him to do what he has done is a story in itself."
On what he's thankful for this Thanksgiving:
"I have a lot to be thankful for. I have a wonderful family. I've lived well. I love my job, my work, all that I've done. I have a lot to be thankful for. In fact, I think it's more that Thanksgiving is about giving. I learned a long time ago and I talk to the team about this, that it is amazing when you receive a gift, the emotion you have – especially if it's from somebody special. It's interesting that you can give a gift – a very meaningful gift – to somebody you really care about and when you see how much they appreciate it, you evoke the same emotion (as when you receive a gift). The interesting thing is that only one of those you can control and that's to give. I really think it's a nice lesson and I think that's what Thanksgiving is all about – extending yourself instead of dwelling on, 'What am I thankful for?' Showing thanks to others and extending yourself a little bit is important."
On who taught him that lesson:
"It was way back when with my parents."
On if he feels he needs to win against Cincinnati:
"We're past that now. We really are. My point (in previous press conferences) was that it's about a group of young people working to get better. I want to do all kinds of things to show people – whatever we can. I just want us to keep working to improve. It would be wonderful for this team if they could bring it all together and get the offense, the defense and the kicking game to click together. Who knows? There are no guarantees. To go out and say we really performed at a level higher than we have would be a good thing."
