Aug. 16, 2009
QB Colt McCoy
On whether he pays attention to the media buzz surrounding him: No, I just do my best to stay focused on our team, what our goals are, and what we need to do as a team. The media attention is good because I think it gives our team some exposure, but at the same time, it’s not about me, it’s about us. It’s about Texas. For me, I do not try to pay that much attention to it.
On the tight ends: I think that all of our tight ends are working really hard. I think that obviously when D.J. [Grant] went down, it hurt us a bit, but they are all fighting and are all practicing really hard. We definitely need to have a tight end in our offense to be able to run what we want to run. We definitely need to be able to establish our running game, and we want to play underneath the center, so if you want to do that, you need someone to step in and play tight end.
On how much the offense changed last year when the tight ends went down: There are so many athletes here that we can make it work with whatever we have. At the same time, we really focused this spring and at camp so far to make sure that we can get a good tight end in there that can block, that can catch, and that is smart and can make a play when he needs to make a play, and help us in what we need to do offensively.
On Dan Buckner playing some in the flex position: He has been out there some. Dan is a great receiver and a great athlete. He is really big. I think that his body allows him to play that position pretty well because he can get in there and block the linebacker one-on-one. We are going to have the right guys in there. They are all working hard. They are catching the ball well. Now, we are just doing everything we can to be the best that we can be.
On how much the offense has changed under Greg Davis since McCoy was a true freshman: It has changed quite a bit, actually. There is more freedom. There are more protections. There is just more stuff that you have to know and have to be smart about. I think the thing that Coach Davis and I have worked really hard at is being on the same page and understanding why we are doing what we are doing. For me right now on the field, I can almost guess the call that is going to come in because we have worked so hard together. I think that we have a solid relationship where we work so hard in the film room and on the practice field, so that we have that connection when game time comes.
On what he hopes for his senior year: I just want to be the best that I can be. I know that this team has the chance to be really special if we continue to work like we are working, if we continue to prepare, and if we continue to make sure that it is important to us. If we go out there having fun, relaxing, playing really hard, and competing with each other, then we have the chance to be really good. We just have to continue to do that. For me personally, it is my senior year, so I want it to be fun. I want it to be special. I can’t imagine a more fun year than this year could be.
On whether there are different incentives or a different mindset this year after what happened last year: Right now, all that we are focused on is what we have to do to beat Louisiana-Monroe. It is the age-old saying, ‘You have to take one game at a time.’ For us, that is our focus right now. We want to be out working them at this point. Like I said earlier, if we continue to work like we are working, then we have the chance to be special.
On the camp that James Kirkendoll has had: James is solid. He had a great year last year, and his role is probably going to increase a little bit this year. He is playing really well and is consistent. He runs great routes and gets open. In our offense, when you have a guy that you can count on like that for every play, it really helps. Fourth-and-three, you have to make it in the Fiesta Bowl, and he comes up with a big play. That gains a lot of trust from a quarterback’s perspective. I think at that point, he earned a lot of respect from our team. He is playing really good where he is. He is smart enough to play all three receiver positions on the field, so we will be able to use him in a lot of different ways.
On the receiver group: We have a receiver group that really competes hard with each other every day. The guys want to be on the field and they want to play. Coach is able to put them in different spots, see what fits each of them best, and let these guys learn the different positions in case we have an injury or in case someone is not doing as well as we think he should, we can slide another guy right in. To be able to have that flexibility as a receiver is really good.
On at what point practice stops becoming new and fun and starts becoming a grind: If you want to be great and be the best you can be, there are no easy days. There is no easy way out. For us as a team, what we keep hounding over and over is, ‘Do not listen to anything outside of what we have to do to be the best we can be.’ People are talking. They may say that we are not going to be as good, and they may say that we are going to be good, but it doesn’t matter. Let’s go out and work every day like champions. That is what our focus is right now.
On the prospect of breaking the all-time wins record as quarterback: Of all the records that there are, I think that would be the sweetest record to break. I have always said as a quarterback that if you go into a game and you win, then you have accomplished your goal. That is the most important thing, so wins are definitely important.
WR Jordan Shipley
On how practices have changed since past seasons: Well, I don’t know if it’s a lot different for me. I think the coaches are doing a good job of taking care of us, and using that bubble when it’s 100 degrees. We’ll start outside so we can get some of the heat, then we’ll move into the bubble. I think it’s working really well. Also with the new turf, it’s good to get some time playing on turf.
On helping the younger receivers: All the older guys are expected to help the younger guys along, and coach them up a little bit. So that is definitely part of the job description.
On the progress of the younger receivers who were here last year: Well, they got a ton of reps in the spring, for one thing. Also, all of them are in the weight room working really hard, and they’ve all gotten bigger. I think they’ve just got a better understanding of the offense. Most of the guys that were here, I don’t have to coach them at all, because they know everything about the offense. It’s mostly just helping the freshman guys. The guys that were here are doing a great job right now.
On James Kirkendoll: James is just rock-solid. He’s one of the most consistent guys we have I think, but all of those guys look good. We’ve got several receivers that look like they are ready to play. He had a good bowl game. He had a couple of really big plays for us. I think he was coming on at the end of last year in general. He’s kind of found his role, and he’s definitely making some big plays for us
On dealing with the pressure: Well, obviously it’s different for me approaching the season. Approaching every game, all I can do is play the game and do the best I can every time. Obviously we’re going to miss Quan (Cosby) a lot, but I feel really good about the other guys who are playing those receiver spots. I think we’re going to be overall really solid.
On the newness wearing off and the grind of practice setting in: Well, everyone is excited for the first day. That’s what Coach Brown always talks about. What we have to do is make sure we come out every day with the same attitude, and be ready to practice and ready to get better. Obviously, physically you get worn down after a while, but I think that’s part of it. Part of the camp is just dealing with the grind and making sure you come out ready to play every day.
On Colt McCoy improving from last season: He’s spent tons of time in the film room and the weight room, and I think he just knows so much about our offense. He knows every position. He can turn around and tell the running back what to do or he can tell the center what to do. So as far as that goes, just being able to know everybody’s roles and also be able to audible to different things is valuable, because he knows all the defenses so well.
On if there’s anything he sees now that he didn’t know about the team going into camp: We’re still learning. I don’t know if there is any one thing that I didn’t know coming in. We’re excited about some things. We’ve got a lot of guys that are going to be good. Right now, it’s kind of about developing chemistry and things like that. We haven’t played a game yet, so I can’t say. I think we’re all really excited.
On whether or not he has his own audibles: No, we just run our offense. We don’t have any of our own specific stuff. I mean, Coach (Greg) Davis has tons of little audibles and little side adjustments. We pretty much just follow whatever Coach Davis wants. He puts all that stuff in. It is up to us sometimes to pick which of those things we want to do, but Coach Davis is the one that puts all that stuff in.
On where the receivers will play this season: I’ve seen a lot of receivers play in different spots that they haven’t played before. That’s good for us because you never know what’s going to happen during the season, and you never know who’s going to have to play where. So for everybody to get experience playing in different spots is good for us. I think everyone’s picking it up pretty well. It’s been fun to see those guys do some things that they haven’t done before.
DE/LB Sergio Kindle
On going over things learned from spring football: We’re going over everything from the spring because of the new guys that are in. We have to break down the defense for those guys. So it’s really nothing new, at least not yet anyway.
On hitting a hump at this point in the summer: It’s a grind every day. I don’t think any day has been easier than the other just because of how hard our practice is throughout the whole two-a-days. We’ve got to suck it up every day and just go out there and do it. The heat isn’t helping, but it’s going to be hot every day regardless. We’ve got to work hard every day, but in the back of your mind, you’ve just got to think that this is what we’ve got to go through to be the best that we can be.
On how fast the new guys are learning: The guys who did well in the spring are still doing well now. I’m impressed with all of them because it’s a lot of material that we have and it seems like all the guys are catching on pretty quickly, so that’s always good.
On Alex Okafor: Alex has been a playmaker since he got here, and it hasn’t changed at all. He’s just a little bit more acclimated to the defense, and it’s starting to show.
On lining up in different spots on the field: So far, I’ve been bouncing around a lot. It just depends on the team we play to see how I’m going to be used that game. I guess it’s good if (Coach Muschamp) is making me do it. I’ll tell you what; you have to be in shape for it. You’re constantly moving. It’s a lot thrown at you, and a lot of different things you have to know, because of where you have to move and how soon you have to get there. It’s kind of hard to pick up, but I think I’m getting it.
On how he learns his defensive playbook: I’d rather do it on the field, because that way it sticks. If you do something bad, you’ll get blocked or get yelled at, so it makes you want to do it better next time. I’d rather do it on the field, but extra studying helps too.
On being more familiar with Coach Muschamp’s defense now that he’s been here a year: We are, because we always look at what we did last year. And the numbers looked good, but we can always to better. Now that we know the defense, he expects more out of us. Instead of being good, he wants us to be great this year, so that’s what we’re striving for.
On being the number one pass rusher on the defense: In my mind, I feel like I want to get there. But all four guys up front, or whoever is blitzing, have that same mentality, and that’s how Muschamp wants it. So, if all of us aren’t thinking like that, then it’s no use.
On how well the secondary has been playing: Yeah, they really have. There just come times when Colt holds onto the ball a lot longer then he usually does, and that’s how you know that the secondary is doing their jobs.
On developing team chemistry: We meet as a defense every day. On the field, it’s all rough and tough, but outside of the practice field, we try to mingle a little bit and go eat together and stuff like that, just to get to know the guys outside of their helmet. That makes them more comfortable around you and vice versa. I think it makes a big difference, just because guys can trust you, and they know you. If you get to know them off the field, they feel like if they make a mistake on the field, you’re not fixing to come crashing down on them, because you know the guy, and he knows you. It won’t put too much pressure on them to try to overdo what they can do.
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