Player Comments from Weekly Press Conference
8/31/1998 12:00:00 AM | Football
Weekly Press Luncheon
SENIOR/JUNIOR QB TOM BRADY
On making his starting debut
It's been a long time in the waiting. Once you get your opportunity you want to go out there and play as well as you can. I've prepared myself all summer and that's what I'm ready to do.
I'm very anxious. It's been three years. I'm ready to get out there and see what I can do. I think there are a lot of people waiting to see. I'm prepared and I'm ready to do it.
We talk about crowd noise an awful lot. The one thing you have to do when you go into a stadium that's full of some 85,000 people rooting against you is you have to go out and do well early. So we are going to try and establish a good tempo on offense. We've been preparing for the crowd noise. We've been in big games before.
On the quarterback competition this summer
It was good competition. Very healthy. I don't think you go out and root against people. I think you go out and you perform as best you can and hope that it is better than the rest. That's, I think, the attitude all four of us (Brady, Scott Dreisbach, Drew Henson and Jason Kapsner) took going in; the best guy was going to play. You do not gain a starting job at the University of Michigan by default. You have go out and your work your butt off.
On Drew Henson
He's a very nice guy, very smart. He's going to add a lot to this team in terms of depth. He's going to be a very good leader. He's a solid guy. The four of us quarterbacks have a very unique relationship in that we are all competing for something and we are all at great institution and we all want it bad. When you have those things in common you are always going to have a healthy relationship.
On learning from Brian Griese's preparation that last two seasons
I remember from the last three seasons that every time I was here in the watch room to watch film, Brian was in here watching film. Brian was here every night -- Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night -- just trying to get every tendency the opponent had, trying to get a feel for what they were going to do. Any hints that would give away anything about the defense. Brian prepared 100 percent every time he prepared for a game. That's the approach you have to take. You can't be surprised out there. Every once in a while you are going to be fooled, buy on a consistent basis, that's not good.
SENIOR DE JUAQUIN FEAZELL
On the challenges of the Notre Dame offense
The thing that makes it hard to prepare for Notre Dame is that you don't know what you're going to get. They had Ron Powlus there for four years and now they bring in an athletic quarterback with a strong arm and we have to prepare for everything. We have to react as we see what they give us on the field.
Wisconsin taught us a lesson last year, actually, as in how to prepare for the option. It was something we were not expecting to get from Wisconsin. We are expecting some option (from Notre Dame) because of the athlete they have (at quarterback).
On defending the option SENIOR SS MARCUS RAY We can definitely defend it. It was just like adjusting to Washington State's offense a year ago. We did not completely shut it down, but we adjusted and we played well enough to win. I think this year against Notre Dame, if they do come out in the option, we have no choice but to stop it. If they hit a couple of plays, I am sure that Coach Herrmann or Coach Bedford will make the proper adjustments and everything will work out. On whether the option offense slows the Michigan defense down On defensive backs William Peterson and James Whitley and the freshmen SENIOR RB CLARENCE WILLIAMS On the offensive backfield On Evan Coleman and Ray Jackson SENIOR ILB SAM SWORD On defending the option On Notre Dame quarterback Jarius Jackson Contact: Jim Schneider, David Ablauf (734) 763-4423
It doesn't take away the aggressiveness. We all know what our assignments are. We are all responsible for certain places on the field. We know who we have. We can still be aggressive, but we have to be sure take care of our own assignments.
Being named a captain is a tremendous honor for me. To be named captain of a class program like Michigan, is something I really am proud of. Knowing you have the respect of your teammates like that.
On the Notre Dame game
We are expecting a fourth quarter struggle coming down to the last three-four minutes of the game. Hopefully we'll be on the long end of the stick when the clock reads zero. Notre Dame is a team with great tradition, pride, fight, and they are at home for their for their opener under a lot of scrutiny right now, so they are like a wounded cat back up against the wall and you expect their best shot.
On preparing for Notre Dame
I would say the running game is the hardest to prepare for. The passing game is pretty much the same. They will probably have some minor changes in their passing game, but we have heard that they are going to try and run the option at least 40 times a game because they do not think we can defend it. They have a new quarterback. They have guys on the offensive line that pushed us around a little bit last year and the receivers were aggressive. But it is hard to prepare for a team that you really do not know what they are going to run.
I do not think so. I think it just makes us read our key's that much harder. There are different ways to defend the option, but as long as we are reading our keys and getting in our proper alignment, I think everything will be all right.
Personally, I love James Whitley and (William) Peterson because from the day they walked in here they demanded their respect and they've always competed and fought hard. This off season spring they took the time to learn the defense and learn what it takes to be a great player out there. Whitley in particular, I think he's made some great strides, coming from a little nervous last year to playing with a world of confidence. Believe me he can check anybody. But we have a lot of guys, like (DeWayne) Patmon is going to play a lot. LeAundre Brown has been contributing. A couple of the freshmen a like are David Terrell and Marquise Walker at receiver. Both of those guys are pretty polished coming out of high school. Justin Fargas is a rocket out there. I think a lot of young guys are going to contribute this year.
We have a talented group, a lot of backs. I think every single one of us has our own style. Me, I can do a lot of things, pretty much everthing you can ask. Anthony (Thomas) is a great power runner, a great inside runner. We have a freshman, Justin Fargas, he's a speed back, a very fast guy. Walter Cross is very similar to Chris Howard. Ray Jackson is very similar to Chris Floyd as far as the blocking goes. So we have a wealth of backs who can do a lot of things.
They've done about as good as we can expect. Chris Floyd is a great player. I don't think he got the credit that he truely deserved. Floyd paved so many holes for Chris Howard and the rest of us last year. I think a lot of people didn't pay attention to how he pass protected. He did an excellent job pass protecting. That is something that takes time for a young guy to learn.
One problem would be over pursuing, but the main challenge is that each individual has to play his assingment, play within the defense. Option defense is mostly assignment football. You have to be in the right position at the right time. Whenever you are out of position there is the potential for a big play.
On the his role on the defense this season
I will probably have a larger role as far as leadership responsibilities. There are going to be some young guys out there at times and they might not know how to get lined up, so I'm going to have to help with that. Communicate with Coach Herrmann to get the signals in. To give them to the defensive line and the secondary so they can make the proper checks. Whatever way the coaches want to use me I'm willing to go out and do it. They (the coaches) are going to do a couple of new things this year. For all of us as a whole. We have a lot of talent so you have to take advantage of that.
He can beat you running or throwing. Probably the closest quarterback I've faced to Jarius Jackson is Stanley Jackson from Ohio State and Kitchens of Alabama from the Outback Bowl. Jarius is probably a little faster than them and has a stronger arm. It is a great challenge for this defense. We are looking forward to it.
