Offensive Player Comments from 2002 Michigan Football Media Day

8/9/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football

Senior Fullback B.J. Askew

On coming back to campus ... "The best thing about right now is that it is a new season and we're at the beginning of something new. Everyone is excited to play and get going."

On using last season as a motivating factor ... "I don't know if it's as big of a factor as everyone says it is. At the start of every season everybody wants to do their best and comes in with high expectations. We don't need to dwell on the past for motivation."

On how he'll be used this season ... "Last season I played both fullback and tailback. This year they talked to me and they asked how I felt about more of the fullback role with blocking duties and everything that goes with that, and I told them that's fine with me. I can have fun playing either one."

On his devotion to winning ... "This year I could really care less how many yards I rush for or how many receptions I get. I don't need any touches now, I just want to win. I haven't been in a championship situation yet and ultimately I'd just love to play in a championship game. This is really my last shot at doing that."

On the competition at fullback ... "We've got some big guys in there this year in Sean Sanderson and Kevin Dudley. There will be some good competition, but that's what you have to expect out of this program."

On quarterback John Navarre ... "We were all agreed that John took a lot more of the blame than he should have. We all watched the games and we all had letdowns, but John was the one who took the blame for all of it. John is a great kid and he will be a great quarterback here. I believe in John."

On being a team leader ... "I'm a senior and the underclassmen will always look to what I do as an example. So if I pout or if I moan about something, they'll think that's the way to act in that situation. I have to show a great dedication to the team."

Senior Wide Receiver Ronald Bellamy

On the differences between quarterbacks John Navarre and Spencer Brinton ... "They all have their individual traits. As a whole, they are both competitive and I would go with either one of them."

On the characteristics that make Navarre a great quarterback ... "John has leadership abilities. He gets the guys ready to go. He's got poise and confidence and he's not afraid to make a big play."

On Navarre in the huddle ... "He's laid back and relaxed, which we need to keep the offense going."

On the criticism Navarre received last season ... "Our offensive line didn't play well at times, our receivers didn't get open at times, sometimes we didn't have a running game ... and sometimes all the blame is on the quarterback. John has come to realize that it's not all on him and we told him that. Our receivers have to get open. We worked hard this summer getting open. The offensive line worked hard doing drills and the running backs worked hard on the running game."

On the outlook of an underestimated offense ... "It's more not to prove anything as it is to go out and help the team win, that's what we want to do. Our defense is supposed to be great, so we're going to go into practice everyday with a challenge ahead of us. If we can do well against our defense, we'll do well against our competition."

On the capabilities of this year's team ... "The sky is the limit for this team. We can do anything if we put our minds to it. First of all, we have to play together as a team. If we can do that then we'll be all right. We have a tough schedule ahead and we're ready for it."

On the season opener against Washington ... "We don't look as it as payback, we just want to come out and get a victory. It's going to be a great game and a great opponent in Washington. We're just going to go out there and give it our all."

On the current excitement level of the players ... "I think guys are more excited just to start football. Last year was a disappointing year and we've put that behind us. Now we're ready for a new year."

On the time it takes to get over the disappointments of last season ... "It takes a while. We had a great spring though; the new offense has played well and the defense played great. I think after the spring we put last season behind us and now we're ready to go."

On whether the loss to Michigan State and all the controversy was on the minds of the players for a long time ... "We should have never let the game get that close. Every game we play we control our own destiny and we can't blame anyone. A loss is a loss."

On his role as a senior on this team ... "I'm ready to lead the young receivers. Tyrece (Butler) and myself are the old guys now and we're ready to go and make big plays."

On the importance of the tight end position to allow the receivers to get openings ... "It's really important. Bennie Joppru is a great athlete, Andy Mignery is out there now and Tim Massaquoi has moved over. The tight end position is full of talent and should take some pressure off the quarterback and receivers."

On his opinion of freshman quarterback Matt Gutierrez and sophomore wide receiver Jermaine Gonzales ... "Matt is a young guy but I can see him being a great player here at Michigan. If Jermaine plays quarterback, he's got great talent. Gutierrez was well coached and has never lost a game; he's got the ability to be the best."

On the growth of the team as a unit ... "We've put all the off-field stuff behind us, we don't look at that anymore. If we can just focus on football and focus on winning the Big Ten championship, we'll be okay."

On the key to having a great season personally ... "My biggest thing is to stay healthy. If I can do that, I can do great things to help this team win. That's the bottom line."

On the strengths of the secondary, especially Marlin Jackson ... "Marlin is great. As a freshman coming in, he had great technique, which you don't see often. He's going to be a special kid. He's a great athlete who works hard and makes great plays. The secondary is deep and those guys have a lot of experience."

On his thoughts of the defensive line ... "When you look across the defensive line, you see experience. Then with the linebackers, we lost Larry Foote and Eric Brackins but Carl Diggs and Zach Kaufman are going to step in and do a great job. When you look across the defense, they deserve all the national recognition that they have received."

On freshman defensive lineman Gabriel Watson ... "I love Gabe. He's a big guy, just watching him at freshman practice I can tell that he's going to be a great addition to this team."

Junior/Sophomore Running Back Tim Bracken

On the part of his leg that was injured ... "I broke my femur. It was a clean break. It was a non-contact freak accident. I was going out of bounds and I stepped the wrong way and I heard a loud pop and I fell to the ground and that was about it. It was my right leg."

On the difficulty he had to deal with missing last season ... "It was real tough. I had my hopes high. After redshirting my freshman year I wanted to come out and contribute to the team in any which way I could. After working so hard over the summer and then getting hurt a week before the season started was pretty tough. I've worked real hard to get back and now I'm here once again and I'm ready to take a chance at it."

On looking forward to testing his leg in contact practices ... "I'm really looking forward to contact. After coming off an injury like that there is always going to be some nervousness afterward. It's going to be tough but I think for the most part after the first contact is over with a lot of the butterflies will be over with."

On if he has any apprehensions about contact and "getting over the hump" ... "No, not really. I'm just taking it one step at a time. Whenever we start two-a-days and I take that first hit that's all I'll need to get over that hump. After that I'll be ready to go, no doubt about it."

On Coach Carr commenting that he's made great strides in the past months ... "I feel I've progressed. Sometimes my leg would hurt bad and ache and I couldn't even run on it. Throughout these past few months it has come along very well. I haven't had too many problems with it as far as soreness. Every now and then it gets sore but other than that I'd probably say that from three months ago to now it feels a lot better."

On the expectations of the team ... "Our expectations are very high because a lot of people are looking at us and last year and saying we didn't do this and we didn't do that. Our expectations are very high for ourselves because they have to be set high if we want to achieve the goals we have."

On Coach Carr saying he expects Bracken to contribute ... "Right now that just serves as extra motivation for me going into camp. I'm going to go out and work hard. It's pretty much based on what I do and it's up to me how much I get to play."

On being excited about getting back into real game action ... "I'm really excited. It's been a long year and this whole summer I've been working hard trying to get ready to go and now the time is here. There's no turning back right now."

Senior/Junior Quarterback Spencer Brinton

On his thoughts on the upcoming season ... "I'm excited, not only about my chances but about the team in general. Defensively, we have a great team ... but I'm really excited about the offensive team we have out there. It's really exciting, I'm ready to get on with the season and with Washington."

On what he can do in the next few weeks to prove himself ... "Just to go out there and do the best I can to prove myself to the team. These next two weeks are the most important time for me to better myself and to also make my teammates better. That's what I'm going to try to do."

On how comfortable he feels compared to his first year at Michigan ... "I'm very comfortable. Through the winter and all throughout the spring, I've been able to get back into the swing of things and really understand what we're trying to do and what we're trying to accomplish."

On the comparison of offenses between Michigan and San Diego State ... "There are both similarities and differences. It's difficult to compare offenses because you have different schemes, different types of calls, the way you read people is different. But that's how football is; all players at all positions have to deal with it."

On what he brings to this offense ... "I hope to bring excitement. I love to play the game, I love to get out there and be excited with my teammates. Football is a very rigorous sport and you can get tired very easily. The thing that I want to keep consistent is not only my playing ability but my attitude toward the game and going out there everyday and having fun. That's what I really want to do and something I can really bring to this team."

On his relationship with quarterback John Navarre ... "John and I are best buddies right now. When we go out to warm up and do our quarterback exercises, both of our main goals for the summer were to get better and to become more familiar with the offense."

On the competition for playing time at quarterback ... "I'm going to go in there and take advantage of every opportunity that I get. If I do that and perform well ... the person that performs well is going to get to play. That is what Coach Carr has said and that's what we believe in."

On the fact that Navarre has had much more game experience ... "I don't know what the coaches think. All I know is what I know. I just need to go in there and do everything I can to improve myself and to increase the chances of the offense improving. Every practice I need to focus on getting better and to not worry about who else is getting better or how they perform. If I do that, it will put me in a good situation."

On his chances of not getting the desired playing time ... "It would be frustrating for anyone. But that's when you have to give up your own frustrations and start worrying about the team rather than yourself. If I had a bad attitude about not playing it would bring down the team and it would bring down Navarre because I wouldn't be pushing him. You can't let that happen at any position."

Senior/Junior Wide Receiver Tyrece Butler

On the difference between quarterbacks John Navarre and Spencer Brinton ... "Some people might think that because Spencer is lefthanded the ball goes a certain way but it does not do that. It comes right to you. Navarre, he is a great quarterback."

On the offensive letdown last season ... "It was a team thing. Everybody was getting on John (Navarre) but he did his best. When you lose a game like that it is everybody's fault even though John is the guy that everybody looks at."

On how working with the quarterbacks during the spring helps in the fall ... "It helps a lot. You get to know the quarterbacks and everyone is changing from spring ball. Guys are getting faster and we need to get our timing right."

On the receiver competition ... "There is going to be a lot of competition. We have some good receivers coming like Jason Avant and Carl Tabb. Those guys are going to add something to the table. We have Braylon Edwards and Calvin Bell. The wide receiving corps are going to be good this year."

On his injury and where he fits in the offense ... "I am looking to help the team. I am looking to make big plays and do whatever the team needs me to do."

On the offense this season ... "(Offensive coordinator) Terry Malone is doing a great job with the offense. We have a whole new offense. He is honest. It is a player-friendly offense. There are a lot of things that we can do this year with Malone. We added (quarterbacks coach Scot) Loeffler and he is giving some input. Coach (Erik) Campbell is giving input so it is very player friendly."

On where he fits in filling the void left by Marquise Walker ... "I am just trying to get on the field and make plays. That is all Ron (Bellamy) and Braylon and Calvin are trying to do too and that is just make plays. If it just so happens that one of us becomes the go-to receiver, then so be it."

Junior/Sophomore Punter/Placekicker Adam Finley

On his mentality during the game ... "When we're in our half the field I have to be constantly ready to get out there and punt it away. The further we move downfield the punts obviously get shorter and soon I'm focusing on a pooch-punt. Once we get across their 30-yard line I know I can rest up a little and think about the next one."

On the unpredictability of having to punt the ball ... "You always have to make sure you're real ready. You need to stay loose on the sideline and always trust yourself. If you're called upon you just need to go out there and perform. You can't keep constantly asking yourself if you're warmed up or if you've done everything to get ready because you never know when you are going to be needed."

On the lone-player aspect of being a kicker ... "It's a little different situation than most of the other guys, but we still have our punting, kicking and long-snap crew so we still have some sort of group behind us at all times. It's always been more of a personal position. Its still your thing going in there, its your punt or its your kick. The line has got to get its job done and I've got to get my job done."

On former punter/placekicker Hayden Epstein's impact ... "They are obviously some big shoes to fill. Hayden put the bar up there for us and we all need to come in and do a good job this year and make sure that level of play is upheld. We're always trying to improve and even do a better. You always have to shoot a little higher."

On his game vs. Western Michigan last year and how that prepared him for the upcoming season ... "Obviously you play a lot of games in high school but it's not the same as playing here in front of all these people. So playing in the games last year gave me the confidence that I know I can come out here and perform in a game situation and that's it not as scary or worrisome as you initially thought. I now have the confidence that I've done this before."

On this year's goals ... "I think there is always room for improvement. I think we can get the net punting up a little bit and that's a whole team effort, for me to get the distance and hang time to the coverage unit doing their job. Hopefully I can help out as much as possible and maybe win us a few games."

Senior/Junior Offensive Lineman Courtney Morgan

On returning to practices after summer workouts ... "After a summer of running, lifting and conditioning it's fun to finally put the pads back on and see where you're at after all that work over the summer. I worked over the summer on improving my strength. Any time you drop bad weight and add good weight, it helps you as far as adding speed and improving your footwork."

On the mindset of the offensive line ... "We're excited. This is a really close-knit group. You know sometimes the older guys stick together, but with us, young, old, it doesn't matter, we are all close. Everyone is ready to work hard and prove that we know how to play football."

On gaining motivation from last season's results ... "It's definitely a motivating factor. 8-4 is not acceptable around here and we know that we have to work harder it improve that record. We all know it. The offense together is a group, so we all are working as a group to get better."

On learning positions along the line ... "I think it's important to study every position along the line. You never know when the coaches are going to step in and ask you to fill another position for a game or for however long. One game I could have to play center and then jump back out to left tackle the next, I just have to be a prepared as I can to help out the team."

On the effect of the offensive line on the offense ... "We know that our unit can carry the offense. The game is won or lost in the trenches, so we know that our unit has to stay strong for the offense to go. If we run the ball well it will really help out John (Navarre) as far as getting the passing game in there."

On the line's devotion to the basics ... "We really went back to the basics. Coach (Andy) Moeller really emphasized getting our technique down and working hard on things like footwork and positioning. Throughout all the drills, we were dedicated to making sure everything was technically sound."

Senior/Junior Quarterback John Navarre

On his relationship with fellow QB Spencer Brinton ... "Off the field, he's a great friend, he's a good guy, and we hang out all the time. When Spencer got here, I tried to acclimate him and get him in and try to make him feel at home. We've been like that ever since; we're close friends. On the field we're always learning from each other, telling each other what we did wrong, or how we can do things better. We try to maintain that same relationship, and that's how it's going to be. It's not a competition, we're not bitter. That's one thing I was told when I got here: the competition will be great, but you'll be the best of friends by the end of it."

On freshman QB Matt Gutierrez ... "My first impression of Matt was that he wanted to come in and work hard. He wanted to get better, he wanted to learn things as soon as possible and that he's dedicated. That's what you have to have as a quarterback, especially as young as he is."

On his summer workouts ... "Our whole unit has been working hard. We get up together, we work out, we watch film together, we study plays, we quiz each other, and we are always studying the offense. We watch film on defenses, then we go out and do weight-lifting and running and then we have our team session, seven on seven with the offense, working on our run out there, because there are no coaches, so we're running the show, and we make sure everyone is in the right spot. That's probably why we've worked as hard as we have, we're running the show, running seven on seven and getting everybody organized. That's what we've done all summer."

On the offensive line ... "Those guys are definitely determined. They have an attitude about them, and that's something that everybody likes. They've been working hard all summer as a unit, and that's what I like. They definitely are determined."

On his expectations for this year ... "I think the team will be more fundamentally sound on every side of the ball, offense, defense and special teams. We'll be more consistent and we're going to have more team unity, not to say we didn't have that last year, but we're going to stay focused, stay determined the whole road. We're going to keep on the same track."

On how his weight loss will improve his performance ... "It helps me stay more mobile and more agile. In the pocket, I've been doing some more rollouts and more conditioning. (Quarterbacks coach) Scot Loeffler has brought a new philosophy to film and learning plays and learning defense. We've just put our noses to the grindstone a lot more than any other summer."

On new quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler ... "He said he wanted to polish me up and that he wanted to work on decisiveness and confidence and stuff like that. He's really good at that, and he's great at motivating. He's done a really good job."

On the philosophies of the new coaches ... "I think you're excited about the new adjustments, and that makes you want to learn more and learn more quickly. New philosophies, new ideas -- new is good. That's not to say old is bad, but you have new guys in there and they have this enthusiasm, and that's what you like."

On starting practice ... "It's maybe not fun physically, but it's a fun time because everybody is here and you get to see all your friends and coaches. You get to practice what you've been learning all summer and all spring and you get to put it all together."

On the team's attitude ... "I like our philosophy, our ideas, the way we're looking at things, and how we attack defenses. We've been working on that all summer. The way we worked at it, the success we had with it this summer, just brought about more confidence for our quarterback unit. It's one of the things I like."

On Scot Loeffler's attitude and approach ... "He's an amazing guy, he's always so positive. When he came in, I knew right away. He was here my redshirt freshman year (as a graduate assistant coach). My first year I got a little taste of his attitude and when he came back I was so excited. He just has a positive attitude, he has for everything, he's very smart, he knows what to do, and I just love working for the guy. He's a young guy, he's a good friend. He played here too, and he's been through it all. It's good to have a guy that understands what you're going through. He can relate and he knows what you need and what you want and what you're going through."

On the most improved part of his game ... "I think it's the mental part. The offensive philosophies, building confidence, better decisiveness. Staying confident and the mental part of the game is going to bring me a step further from last year. This summer was so big, working with the receivers, tight ends and backs. You feel yourself making decisions a lot quicker, a lot easier, making the right decision more often. You sense that at the end of the summer, that this is something that I never really did at that magnitude. You study film and you learn the plays and you understand the concepts. You know why we're running the things we are and that's when you start teaching yourself. You learn how to run the offense on your own, and that gives you a lot of confidence."

On QB competition ... "I'm going to work hard. This was a question last training camp too. I'm going to go out and I'm going to focus on what I'm doing, and I know what I want to get done. I'm going to be a leader and I want to take care of business, and I'm going to focus on what I'm doing, not how I'm doing it, but what I'm doing. I'm going to run the offense, follow the rules of the play. If I take care of that, everything else will fall into place. If Spencer (Brinton) does that better, maybe he deserves to play. Whoever the decision goes to will be successful. When you're a fourth-year or a fifth-year guy, you get comfortable and you start focusing on the little things that count, instead of the big picture, Michigan Stadium, all of these people and the aura around the Michigan quarterback. You start focusing on the details of how to win football games, that's the biggest thing. When you do that you get more confident and you play more relaxed and fluid."

On whether he's improved since last season ... "I think I'll be better because I have a season under my belt and I know what the full season feels like. I had a chance to watch the flow of the whole season, ups and downs, and especially in November when the games get tougher. When I look at this season, you have to be consistent. You have to play at one level all season. You can't come out and expect that just because you played well the previous games that you're going to play well in the end. The competition is going to get tougher, people are going to watch film and you have to step it up in the end. That's the advantage of playing a whole season and having that under your belt."

Senior/Junior Offensive Lineman Tony Pape

On being the veteran of the offensive line ... "It feels good. I am happy to be considered a leader on this team and a leader of the offensive line."

On moving to the right side of the offensive line ... "I think they are moving me to right tackle for more of a run emphasis on the right side of the football. I played right tackle all through middle school and high school so it will not be that big of a change for me."

On what will make this offensive line better than last year ... "We have to play excited and play with a little fire under our belts. We just have to have fun out there this season. Towards the end of the season last year, we weren't having as much fun as we were at the beginning of the year. We have to keep up the fun attitude of running the ball and scoring points."

On run and pass blocking ... "I'm definitely a run blocker. I've been a run blocker forever. That is why I came to Michigan. There is a long tradition of great Michigan linemen, their great running game and their hard-nosed running backs. I came here to run the ball."

On his first-year experience at Michigan ... "I was a chubby little 17-year-old kid. I didn't know what I was doing or what was going on. I just followed the older guys around for an idea of what to do."

On the emotions of the first-year player ... "It's definitely a humbling experience. You come in here for your first few days of freshman camp and try to establish yourself, but when the varsity gets here they kind of put you in your place. It is very humbling."

On his advise to the rookies ... "The one bit of advise I could give would be to be seen and not heard."

On the camaraderie of the offensive line ... "I think that was huge part of the offensive line this offseason. We had a little discipline in everything we did. We would work out at the same time, meet at the same time, watch film and go through drills at the same time. Everything we did, we did as a group."

Senior/Junior Center Dave Pearson

On his Michigan experience ... "Michigan has been great. When you come to play here the expectations are always high and that's what you want as a player. Everyone is out there to give it their best shot for the team and that's how the game is supposed to be played and that's when it's the most fun."

On the experience of summer workouts ... "This summer we spent a lot of time together, especially doing some drill work on our own. It was important for us to come together and get to know the guy you're going to line up next to. Outside of football we hang out together and I think we've bonded pretty well."

On how he was asked to switch to center ... "After we came back from the bowl game, you have your end-of-the-year meetings with the coaches and the offensive line coaches came to me and asked if I'd be interested in making a switch and asked me to think about it for a bit. I thought about it and saw the opportunity it presented, so I went back to them and said let's give it a shot. Then I started working out with some of the guys, some older players came back and helped me learn the position."

On which position is more difficult ... "They're different types of positions. Defensive line is tough, but I guess playing against a double-team is harder than being part of one. Again, each one is difficult in its own way."

On his transition to a new position ... "I think it was encouraging. I started off pretty well. I mean, I was learning on the fly and you could see that there was a pretty big learning curve and I knew that I would keep getting better. The coaches were helpful and it was a good switch."

On the offensive line's commitment to fundamentals ... "I think it helped us a lot and it helped me especially. With everyone going back to the basics, it was nice because that's where I had to start out was with the basics. I think it worked out well for me and hopefully as a unit we can show that we're fundamentally sound."

On last year's roommate, John Navarre ... "I think John always kept a positive aspect to himself and was confident in the abilities he had. He was under a great amount of scrutiny, but he kept his head high and I think everyone on the team really respects that as much as anything. He's a real leader on this team. He's really worked hard to come out strong this year."

Junior Running Back Chris Perry

On the hunger for the upcoming year ... "I've already got the hunger; I'm hungry enough. I was hungry last year and I'll be hungry this year. If I stay healthy I'll be fine. That's what I want to focus on."

On helping second-year QB John Navarre ... "John took a lot of heat last year but that comes with the position. You know that when you are going to be the quarterback. But of course there are a lot of things we can do to take the pressure off of him. Sometimes we (the backfield) miss a block or mess up the scheme, but since he's the quarterback they will always focus on him."

On his goals for the upcoming season ... "I want to make it through a full season. I haven't been able to make it through an entire season here at Michigan, and I want to prove to the coaches and my teammates that I can carry the load an entire season and not break down. I want them to be able to depend on me each and every game. That's something I don't think they could do last year and I want to change that."

On last season's injuries ... "I had some leg injuries that wouldn't go away. My knee, my hamstring -- it was just ongoing. Every time I felt I was getting healthy, another injury came. So now I'm very focused on taking care of myself and my body and hopefully doing better this season."

On his role in the backfield for the upcoming season ... "Through the spring they moved B.J. (Askew) to fullback and me to tailback so that's what I am going for. But there is never any confirmation. Any player wants the ball in his hands so they can make plays but it's always what is best for the team that really matters. If B.J. is carrying the ball more and producing more, then he should get the ball and vice versa. But we're both going to be carrying the ball and producing so I'm not worried."

On stepping up the offense this year ... "We need to establish the running game. That's something we have to do better this season. I think that's a reason some stuff fell on John (Navarre). But if the running game isn't producing it doesn't give him any chance to open up the passing game. We all know that run sets up pass and pass sets up run. That's something we're all working on."

On the new offense ... "I love it. I think it's going to help the running game and from there, the passing game. I think it will help all parts of the offense this year."

Contact: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423