Aug. 7, 2011
NEWS CONFERENCES: Coach Long | Defensive Players | Offensive Players
SAN DIEGO - Quotes from San Diego State's Football Media Day held on Sunday, August 7.
Head Coach Rocky Long
On whether he has reverted to his past head coaching strategies or brought in new ones:
"That has yet to be seen, but the plan is that I've learned from past mistakes. I revert back to the good things that I did and I eliminate the bad things that I did. Year-to-year every team has a little bit of a different make-up to it, so you have to approach the team a little bit differently. The two years I spent not being a head coach, hopefully I learned some things. I was able to reflect on the things I did wrong and I don't make those mistakes. I'm sure I'm going to make some mistakes, but the idea is not to make the same mistakes."
On the reasons for having late practices:
"This is the first time we've been able to at San Diego State have our freshmen in summer school (during training camp). Summer school doesn't end for another 10 days or so. Our first game is a night game and that's the most important game on our schedule. So we're going to get used to practicing at night. A lot of it is due to the summer school, because it eliminates when you can practice. They go to summer school in the morning and they have study hall in the afternoon. It looked to me that the only time they had free was at night."
On the overall outline of this year's team:
"We have the makings of a pretty good team. We have an outstanding quarterback. We have really good running backs. The offensive line is pretty good. The best depth we have on our offense is at tight end. We don't have any proven wide receivers - they're all unproven or they're all really young. We're going to try to replace maybe the two best receivers that have played here. People argue who the best receivers are, but as a tandem they were as good as anybody's ever been. They're both trying to make NFL teams now and those guys are hard to replace, especially since you don't have anyone who has really played before. On defense, we have good depth at linebacker and we have some good players. We have depth in the secondary and also have other good players. We don't have any depth in the defensive line. There are a couple of older players there who are pretty good, but all the backups are young and inexperienced. For us to be any good on defense, they're going to have to be able to play better than their age. We have a good kicker, we have a good punter and we have a good long snapper who are all seniors. We're going to have to recruit someone to replace them next year, (but for now) we're really good at the kicking positions."
On Marshall Faulk's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
"I didn't catch his speech, but I was at his press conference that he had on campus. I thought it was pretty special to see a guy who's going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame spend so much time thanking the people of San Diego and thanking people for the opportunity to come to school here and the great time he had while he was here and the way he developed his game here. He did a nice job of thanking everybody at San Diego State and in San Diego."
On how much Faulk's induction and speech helps the program:
"Marshall being in the Pro Football Hall of Fame makes it really special for everything we do here in our football program, but it has been my experience in the short time I've been here that the tradition of this school hasn't necessarily been good football teams, but there has been a lot of pro football players who have come out of here. Every one of the pro football players who I've bumped into really appreciates San Diego State and lets you know it. Marshall is in the spotlight right now and that's an unbelievable award. Very few people get that award, but he's not the only one that is playing pro football from San Diego State who talks well about us."
On his feelings heading into the first year as head coach at SDSU:
"The last two years I slept pretty well and I never used to sleep when I was a head coach before. Obviously, I know I'm a head coach now because I haven't been sleeping all week. Am I wide-eyed and excited? I'm excited to be getting out there, but it's hard for a guy my age to be wide-eyed now. I'm not nervous whatsoever, because I've done it before and I know what to expect. But I do have butterflies in my stomach today that I did not have yesterday. Like I said, I was sleeping just fine until about a week ago. I assume that's because the football season is here."
On walk-ons:
"We have some new walk-ons who are here now and they'll start practicing tomorrow. In fact, we have two walk-ons who are seniors who have been put on scholarships. This is going to be their fifth year. They have been here for four years without a scholarship and we had room within our scholarship limit, so I put them both on one. One (of the players) is Demetrius Barksdale and the other is Larry Gibbs. I love walk-ons because they come for the love of the game. They have to get themselves in school and they have to pay their own way. Both of those guys I mentioned have been working. I'm sure their parents have been helping them too, but they've taken out loans and they've been working to pay their tuition. They're both pretty good football players and that's dedication. Walk-ons come with a little bit different attitude. I've been around some walk-ons who were drafted in the NFL. There are some still playing in the NFL who were originally walk-ons at my old school."
Senior Quarterback Ryan Lindley
On dealing with expectations this year:
"We had expectations last year too, I understand where you're coming from with that, but at the same time, at the end of the season, we played some tough teams and we already made our mark. I think TCU and Utah knew who we were and they knew we were coming in tough and we played them tough. Those are the two games we probably should have won but our expectations every year, year in and year out, are to win that game that week and be Mountain West Champions. That's going to be our goal, we're going to stick with that and as long as we do that, we can go out every week and play our best football and we'll be in a position to accomplish a championship."
On being more equip to win the games that were lost last season:
"I think we expected to win those games last year too, but at the same time I think we gained a lot of great experience last year. We learned some things about ourselves, about this team, and I think individually too, that is going to help us. That's where we have some younger guys who are going to get in the mix this year that we kind of have to pass that down to. We have to keep them from skipping a beat. That's where the leadership is going to come in at each position. We have Ronnie Hillman and Walter Kazee who have a ton of experience at the running back spot. Tommie Draheim has been on the offensive line for a while and we have a lot of starters coming back there. We have a good group. I'm excited with the defensive side with the amount of guys who are going to get playing time this year that aren't as experienced, but the way they work, they're going to be able to rotate in and kind of not miss a beat."
On developing the wide receiver position:
"It's going good. I think the spring was a great opportunity especially for those guys that were redshirting. Ezell Ruffin and David Lamar, and you saw Dylan Denso really step up, he's gonna be a good player for us. In the summer with these freshman guys coming in, they have a lot of talent too. They excite you and surprise you every day when they come out there and those are redshirt guys, the new guys coming in. I'm really excited especially for the wide receiver position for the competitions that is going to be going on in camp. It's just, like you said, it's been a process, gaining a rhythm, kinda getting it down, knowing where they're gonna be, but that comes through repetition and it's gonna be a process but we'll get there by the end of camp and come September 3rd, we'll be ready to roll.
Sophomore Running Back Ronnie Hillman
On getting back into practice:
"I'm ready to get out there and run, get back used to running and getting the plays down, working with the team and just getting back to the game."
On Marshall Faulk's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech:
"He's a great guy, you have that kind of talent to follow behind, that's just something to admire and something to follow. He's been very vocal about supporting our program. It pays off to have a guy like that to have him be able to support our university and not just the football program and say positive things about it. He's been supporting me and telling me how to adapt to the game and being more of a mentor and telling me, when I fumbled my first carry, to just keep going. Ever since then it's been pretty good.
On improving from last season:
"I can improve on a lot. I have to improve on my pass blocking, my routes, getting out the backfield, my route timing, catching the ball better. So I have a lot to do this camp, I'm working on improving a lot of things."
Senior Offensive Lineman Tommie Draheim
On this year's expectations:
"Even more (than last year), last year was good and all but last year is behind us. We've been working past that ever since we finished that game. As soon as we got off the field, we're already thinking about this year and coming out and playing Cal Poly."
On night practices:
"It's gonna be nice and a lot cooler. We'll be able to get the freshman out there and that will help to get the freshmen, who are going to end up playing this year, able to gain valuable reps and experience on the practice field before we actually start playing."
Senior Linebacker Miles Burris
On getting back into practice:
"Camp rolls around every year. I think everybody is chomping at the bit to get ready and put the pads back on and start hitting. It's exciting and we're looking forward to a good season."
On the transition of coach Long from defensive coordinator to head coach:
"For the most part, the transition has been very smooth. I've said it before, it feels like year three and he's been great. Everybody is 100 percent behind him and backing him and we've still got all the same principals and foundations set of accountability, working hard and toughness. It's really going to show up on the field this season."
On the challenge of keeping the momentum from last season:
"I think it started in the off-season in instilling in these younger guys, especially this summer with the true freshmen coming in and training and going to school, to just keep the legacy moving of toughness and how we go about the game and the mentality that we have doing it. Every day in the weight room in whatever we're doing, it's about teaching them by example and leading by example. We're going to do the same thing in camp. It's an obstacle and a struggle every year going into camp because, all these guys will vouch for me, it's the toughest physically and mentally. This time of the year with double days, getting up at 6:30 a.m. and not leaving until late at night, it's really tough and we're going to get through it. It's a great time and I wouldn't have it any other way. It builds your character and it builds you for the season. It's a great foundation."
On the Sept. 24 matchup at Michigan:
"The only thing my mind is on right now is that first game against Cal Poly. No game is more important than that right now."
On the preseason polls:
"You always have to take any sort of preseason prediction with a grain of salt. Whether it's good or bad you always take them with a grain of salt, because whoever is working the hardest right now and during camp and throughout the rest of the season is the team that's going to take it all. All that really matters is at the end of the season who is the Mountain West Champions. You can't put any stock into those kinds of things, at least we don't."
Junior Cornerback Leon McFadden
On taking some snaps at wide receiver:
"I feel that it's a great opportunity and anything I can do to help out the team would be great. It's just a little bit of receiver and we haven't gotten into much depth with it, but after camp we will see how it goes."
On preparation for the position: < br="">
"Just doing a little bit of extra running, studying the different routes with coach (LeCharls) McDaniel and going over everything with the offense in walk throughs and everything."
On who approached him with the idea:
"Coach Long did. He asked me if I wanted to play a little bit of receiver and I said sure, anything to help."
Senior Defensive Lineman Jerome Long
On helping the younger guys on the defensive line:
"For the younger guys on the defensive line, it's just a matter of getting in the playbook and really learning and understanding the defense. Most of them are all physically capable and ready to play, it's just a matter of their confidence in the defense and not thinking about it on the field."
On setting the foundation for Aztec football:
"Last year's seniors did a really good job of setting the foundation and helping our team get our game out there and letting people know that we are a good football team. I think right now for our senior class, it's just a matter of carrying on the flag of toughness and our reputation and showing people that we can play and we are a good team."
On the removals and additions of teams to the conference:
"It's really great to have Boise State in the conference now. They have a great reputation and it'll be a good opportunity to play another really great team."