Quotes from 2005 Michigan Football Captains
8/22/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Quotes from 2005 Michigan Football Captains
Fifth-Year Senior Defensive Tackle Pat Massey
On the honor of being named captain ... "It's incredible. Yesterday I stood in front of the team and I just took a look at the guys sitting in the front, the seniors ... just to be nominated out of that group was an incredible honor. And then looking back on past captains, it's an incredible honor."
On the process ... "Everybody gets one vote. They tallied them up, and it was really exciting. Yesterday afternoon we had our full team meeting, and everyone voted then."
On who he called first ... "My dad. He was kind of speechless. I caught him off guard. It was one of those things where I said, you want the good news or the bad news' He said, the bad news.' I said, well, my car won't start.' Then I told him the good news, and he was excited for me."
On who helped get him to this point ... "The seniors in front of me. Every underclassman, you look to the seniors. There's no doubt about it. We've had some great seniors, especially guys on the d-line. You look at Grant Bowman, who was a captain, guys like Norman Heuer. There's always been excellent senior leadership on the team, and I've been lucky enough to learn from those guys."
On whether it's overwhelming ... "It's not too much to handle, but expectations are higher. Expectations for performance are higher. Off the field ... you set the example in all aspects, on or off the field."
On whether part of his job is initiating the younger players ... "It's a big part of it. It's a little overwhelming for those young guys who haven't been there before. You definitely have to create a sense of urgency, make sure you make them aware of how every single day, every single snap, how important the little things are."
On whether his younger brother (Michael) voted for him ... "I hope so. I didn't ask him, but he came up to me after the meeting and was excited for me, wished me good luck."
On whether he feels added pressure to play well this year ... "I do. It's part of the responsibility, it really is. Expectations are even higher now and I feel more responsibility. You've got to perform that much better now."
On communication on the defense ... "I think being on the defense, regardless of any title you have, whether you're a senior or not, communication is one of the most important things. It's important for everybody to communicate, all position groups. Everybody has to be talking."
On setting goals for the season ... "That was one of the things we did yesterday. We definitely have a clear mindset. When we set our goals, we have very high expectations and we keep it within the team. We have high expectations for ourselves and it's something we like to keep within the group."
On whether he needs to be more vocal in his role ... "I don't think I have to. I think you look at our past captains and they set a great example for me. Their performances kind of speak for themselves."
On whether he and Jason Avant have talked about how they'll handle certain situations as they arise ... "We haven't really discussed it, but I think we both know what it's going to take to get things done. We both know the leadership that it's going to take, what things make or break a team."
On what makes him confident the defense will be stronger this year ... "There have been certain points of emphasis in spring and throughout camp, we've had a focus on leveraging the ball. Just a whole attitude of getting to that ball carrier and not just running to run C running with a purpose and getting to the ball."
On whether he's gone head to head with his brother this fall ... "A little bit. I've been playing inside a little more, so not as much as in the past when he was on the scout team. But every now and then I'll get a couple shots in."
On Jason Avant ... "Jason's one of those guys who is dependable. You know what you're going to get. You're going to get nothing but his best, whether it's in the weight room, the classroom or on the field. And it's consistent. I've known him for a couple years now and that hasn't changed since the day he got here. I think the biggest thing is you know he's going to go out there and perform. He's not going to get outperformed by anybody, and he's going to be one of those captains who lead by example. He's going to set the tone."
On whether it was his goal to be captain ... "I've always hoped to be a contributor, someone who can lead by example. To be a captain C yeah, of course. I think that's something every senior wants to be. I'm fortunate enough it happened to me. There are plenty of other guys on this team, especially in the senior class, who would be more than capable to be in my position."
On whether the defensive line is meeting expectations ... "We'll see. We haven't stepped on that field for a game yet. I know we've got guys who have been working hard who are getting better every day, but we've still got a whole schedule in front of us and we're going to have to wait and see if we're going to perform."
Senior Wide Receiver Jason Avant
What was your reaction when you found out you were elected captain ... "I couldn't say that I was shocked but it was exciting. I was humbled by it and it's amazing to think that your teammates think that highly of you."
About being an emotional leader ... "I am not a guy that tries to change who he is. I know that I'm a captain but you need to stick to the things that the teammates saw that made me a captain. I don't want to stray away from the stuff that made me a captain."
Does it mean something to you that the last wide receiver to be elected captain was 1994 ... "I didn't know that and it doesn't really make that much difference to me."
Do you remember past captains that stuck out to you and what you might have learned from them ... "The past captain that sticks out the most to me is John (Navarre). John took it everyone, the fans, media, and was just the way that he carried himself that when things were going wrong, he was the guy, even though we had two other captains, that he took the brunt of it so that showed me how you handle yourself with the media and your teammates. Those people were stabbing him but he was able to pick the guys up."
You said you weren't shocked, did you have an idea you'd be named captain ... "Its not that you know but a lot of guys made mention of it. I didn't think too much of it but I know all that I have to do is going out and work hard. The thing about getting chosen by your teammates is, you can fool the media, you can fool the coaches, you can fool everybody, but your teammates are there when you're in the weight room, on the practice field and when you are out on campus so you can't fool those guys. I'm just excited about it."
About the expectations for the receiving corps ... "Our expectations as a group is to be the best crew in the country. As far as the things that we strive for, our job is to make the quarterback look good and to make the running backs look good. We are like the blue collar workers out there. Catch the ball when the quarterback throw it our way and make the block that is going to spring Mike Hart or whoever is in the backfield for a 50-yard run. Without the receivers (blocking downfield), you'd continue to see five- and six-yard runs. We pride ourselves on making those guys look good. We are the blue collar workers."
About teaching the younger guys that you have to block ... "The younger guys we want to let them know what being a Michigan receiver is all about. It's not just about catching the ball. A million guys across the country can catch the ball. Michigan has the reputation for having the toughest wide receivers in the nation and want those younger guys to carry on that reputation in every aspect, whether its going across the middle and taking a hit or blocking to the whistle."
How have the young receivers responded so far ... "I think they have done a good job. We haven't really had a lot of live, full contact action yet, but you can tell when a guy is scared to go and none of those guys have shown that. Once they get their techniques done they'll be good."
How much interaction do plan on having with the offense as captain, in the huddle, do you see that as an issue ... "No, because we have a quarterback in the huddle who is barking out all the calls and is straightening up all the guys. All that I'm doing is fulfilling the role that I have been doing over the last three years. If something is out of hand someone is going to step up and say it and it doesn't just have to be me. The captain isn't just Pat Massey and I, it's the entire senior class, we just happen to be the spokesman for the senior class."
What encouraging things have you seen on the offensive side ... "We have a motto that we want to out hit the defense. I can say from this camp that our offense has been hitting and so has our defense. I like this team and I think we are tougher as a team. Another thing that we've worked on is protecting the ball and not allowing many loose balls. If we can protect the ball and hit on both side of the ball we are going to be a pretty good team."
About Steve Breaston ... "I expect Steve Breaston to be the guy you've seen the past couple of year. He is an exciting football player. He is going to get a lot more opportunities this year and he is going to take advantage of those opportunities. What I like about Steve, we came in together and have been lining up and seeing the same guy down the line from me for three years, is he's always been in the huddle with me. I know that Steve is going to run the right routes and I have confidence in him."
Is the Steve we saw in the Rose Bowl the guy we should expect to see ... "I think he had it during the season. No one knew who Steve was during his freshman year so they kicked the ball to him and they let him run and he made plays. Last year they didn't kick the ball to him like the previous year and teams had an extra man waiting for him. The Texas game plan was to stop Braylon so you knew Steve was going to get open and make some plays. Teams are going to play a guy like Steve Breaston a little bit different. Last year we saw a glimpse of that scheming."
Can this offense be a little more spread out without Braylon Edwards ... "I think we are going to have a real good offense. It is going to be a lot more spread out because we have a lot of players that can make plays. You are going to see a lot of different players catch balls. You know what that does, it builds everyone up from a confidence standpoint. I think it's going to be a lot more fun."
About the running back corps ... "I can't complain about our running backs, I can only smile. I think that we have some of the best running backs in the country in our running back room. Not just three but from about one to six, you can put anyone of those guys in the game and they'll make things happen. They can do some different things."
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