Aug. 13, 2009
DT Ben Alexander
On replacing the defensive lineman who graduated: Those are some great guys. Henry (Melton), Aaron Lewis, Roy (Miller), Rak (Brian Orakpo), those are great players. They helped us a lot last year, but all we can do is work hard and play the best we can.
On how this year’s defensive line unit will be different than last year’s: We’ve still got the same coaches. They coach us up the same way. Here at UT we always have talented players. The guys move on, like the Casey Hamptons, then came the Frank Okams, the Roy (Millers), and now we’re here. We just have to play the best we can. With Coach Muschamp we’ll always be pushed.
On how he approached the spring and summer: I always try to work as hard as I possibly can, but I guess there’s a little added pressure, because I’m going into my senior year, and having to replace great defensive lineman like we had last year. You know everyone’s got to step up. I worked really hard this summer. I worked really hard this past spring and this summer.
On how former UT and NFL DT Marcus Tubbs coming back has helped the defensive linemen: It’s helped a lot. Tubbs is full of knowledge. He’s been where all of us want to go, and done all of the things we want to do. So we listen to him. He’s full of knowledge, and we feed off of it.
On how the second season under Coach Muschamp compares to the first: I don’t know if you ever know what to expect. We’re always doing new stuff, new drills, and always getting better. I guess you get acclimated to the system, to the plays. There are always new plays here and new plays there. We know him a little bit better. Instead of just some guy who came in, we know him better, we’re more comfortable with him, and can communicate with him.
On what he’s done to fill in for the guys who have left: I’ve just worked really hard this summer, just worked as hard as I possibly could to help the team. We have a high standard at Texas, and we all just want to help the team achieve everything we can. This is a good group of guys.
On if the defense has any goals for the upcoming season: We want to be the best. That’s pretty much it. We want to be the best. We want to win the opener. We want to do the best we can possibly do.
WR James Kirkendoll
On what he has seen during practice the past few days: I think the offense has really come along. The young receivers are growing up - me, Brandon (Collins), Malcolm (Williams) and John (Chiles) is coming along, everybody is gelling. We are getting our timing down and I think we are looking really great on offense.
On the difference it makes entering this season with experience: Each year it gets easier. You get all the offensive system down and the game kind of slows down and you just work on getting better every day.
On putting the pads on for the first time: Everybody has been talking about this since the Fiesta Bowl. We had a real hard summer and we are looking forward to trying to win every game this year.
On the biggest thing he has worked on this offseason: Probably just getting stronger. I just keep working on the little things, the little things that get you over the hump. I just felt like I needed to get stronger, keep working on my route running and just anything I can do to help out the team.
On what the receivers want to do this season: First, we’re going to catch the ball and just do whatever we’ve got to do to win each game. That’s what we have dedicated ourselves to this year.
On facing a good defense every day in practice: When you come to a place like Texas, you are going to get that every day in practice. I’m pretty sure the guys across the way from us (on defense) are going to go to the NFL, so I feel like we are getting pushed every day in practice and getting the best look we can.
DE Sam Acho
On what it’s like on the defensive line: We are just loving it. Coach Muschamp is putting in new plays every day, so we are just learning a lot and trying to get the plays down so we know everything. It’s just fun learning new stuff every day for different teams and different stuff we can use, it’s a lot of fun.
On playing with his brother, Emmanuel: It’s a lot of fun and it’s an honor to be playing with my brother, but the biggest thing is the team. We are trying to get the team to where we need to be, but no matter who is out there, I’m just happy to be out there playing and getting better every day.
On stepping up as a leader on the defensive line: Coach Brown and all the coaches were talking about leadership and trying to get leaders on the team, so a lot of the guys, juniors and seniors, we try to step up and fill that leadership role. I have tried to do my part as far as being here early for workouts and practices, working hard every play and showing the younger guys what it takes, because I have seen it from the guys last year and the years past, so I’ve tried to do my part by working hard every day and doing everything that needs to be done on and off the field.
On playing a second year under coach Muschamp: This is our second year under coach Muschamp and it’s been really cool because instead of installing brand new plays, we are running the same plays as last year and putting in new stuff. Now we kind of know coach Muschamp’s personality, so we are used to how he coaches and his style, and it’s been pretty cool learning newer plays and relearning the same plays from last year and getting comfortable again with coach Muschamp.
On the great players who have been on the defensive line at Texas: Being at Texas, we always live up to a standard, whether its Brian Orakpo, Shaun Rogers or Casey Hampton, we are always trying to live up to a standard. It’s not necessarily the people you are trying to live up to, but we are representing Texas, so we are all living up to a standard and each person on the team has been meeting that standard, and we keep on trying to meet it and exceed it day in and day out.
RB Fozzy Whittaker
On the running backs: We have an understanding that there are many different talents that each of us possesses, and we have a role to play off each other’s talents. We are running back by committee. We do not have just one set person, but rather all of us can start and play at any time in the game.
On what he likes and dislikes about the first couple of days of camp: There is not too much that I dislike about camp. There is no other feeling like it. It is just football all of the time. I have missed getting into pads, and now that we are back into them, it is a fun and exciting feeling to see what our team is going to do this year.
On how full pads steps up the intensity of practice: It steps it up to another notch. Today we had our Longhorn drill, where we were able to do some more full contact-type things. It gets our adrenaline pumping. It gets us all excited and ready to go.
On what he has done in the offseason to improve his game: I have put on a little more weight, so I will be able to pick-up pass block better. I feel like that has been a key factor in helping me this year.
On whether he likes running the no-huddle: Yes, I like running the no-huddle. It helps to keep the defense off-balance. We can change up the snap count and change formations up. We can see what the defense is lining up in and then pick a play off of what they do.
RB Vondrell McGee
On what is different with him and Fozzy Whittaker this year as opposed to last year: We are more relaxed this year, and we know what is going on. We can help the young kids now since we have a good feel of the game.
On focusing on blitz pick-up: I have been focused on blitz pick-up since last year. One of the things that I really needed to pick up on was blocking. I have been working hard in the weight room to try and get stronger so that I can help out Colt [McCoy].
On what people can expect to see from him this year: Tough running. I am always going to protect my quarterback and hold onto the ball.
On what he has noticed from practice: I like our toughness. We are a lot tougher this year. We just have to get in shape and we will be ready.
TE Greg Smith
On if fans affect practice: I really don’t think it does. I mean, we want to win the Big 12, we want to win a national championship, we want to win our bowl game, and we’re all so focused, that it doesn’t really affect us that much.
On D.J. Grant: First, anytime you see a guy go down, it hurts you as a team because we’re all buddies. He’s one of my good friends. D.J. is a strong individual and has a great work ethic, and he’ll definitely come back from it stronger than before.
On losing weight: It was just something that I really wanted to do. After workouts, I got in the weight room. I ran more, I lifted more, and I really watched my diet. I cut out desserts; really just portion sizes. Before, I had to work to gain weight. Every night, I had an alarm that went off at 11 p.m., and I would wake up and eat two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches just to keep the weight on. So, it was pretty easy to come off.
On how the weight factors into the tight end position: The biggest thing is learning to play within my body. Because I go through so many transitions. I’m now having to say ‘I’m not 305 anymore.’ I can’t lean as much. I can’t use that type of balance anymore. So now I have to learn to realize that I am more agile. I can’t play as a big guy just throwing my weight around. I have to use my agility, use my steps, and use my technique. And it’s coming. I mean, there’s some every now and then in the past two days, but I can tell the difference every day. It’s starting to come back to my more natural body type and my more natural skills.
On his receiving abilities: That’s really always been my forte is catching the ball. Like in high school, I came to Texas at 220 pounds as kind of like an inside receiver, so that’s come back very fast, but when I’m making cuts, I don’t have to be as high anymore. Because I’m not heavy, I can play lower, and it’s just kind of getting that technique down.
On being a “down-the-seam” guy: I got with Colt this summer in 7-on-7 and we worked a lot on realizing that I do have time to make moves on my routes, and that I can stretch the field. So it’s been nice having them help me and me getting out there and doing that.
On what freshmen Barrett Matthews and Trey Graham bring to the table: Well, they both have their own thing. Barrett is really athletic. He’s got great hands, great speed, and he’s just a good ball player. He’s working on technique a lot, and he’s improving every day. Trey is the same way. Trey is a big guy, he’s blocking really well, and he’s got great hands. I think between both of them, it’s just learning our offense, and learning the tricks of the trade. In high school, you can be bigger and faster and get along. But in college, everyone is bigger and faster. So you have to learn to get your hands inside and different techniques for your position.
On the similarities between himself and Trey Graham: It’s funny because people call him “G2” because we look kind of alike. He’s doing a great job. He’s picking up the plays really well. He and Barrett are both doing that. I think it’s going to be fun watching them mature in that position.
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