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University of Minnesota Athletics
Comments From Laurence Maroney On His First Round Selection
5/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Q: Welcome to New England, Laurence.
LM: I’m glad to be there.
Q: Were you surprised at the selection?
LM: I don’t know. It was just a blessing. It was a great feeling to see New England pick me.
Q: Give us your impression of the Patriots and what you know of the organization and the team.
LM: I feel they have a great, great team going on right now. They have a nice little dynasty they started and they just have great players and a great coaching staff. I’m fortunate to come into a great situation.
Q: For people who haven’t seen you play, can you compare yourself to someone who is in the NFL right now?
LM: I’d have to say in the NFL my style is somewhat like Edgerrin James.
Q: Who [from the Patriots] called you and what did they say?
LM: Actually I was in the bathroom. [Laughter]. My sister had my phone and one of the little kids ran into the bathroom and said The phone is for you’ and I picked up the phone and the guy was like, We’re on the clock right now. We’re thinking about drafting you. How do you feel about that?’ It caught me off guard.
Q: So did they tell you they were going to draft you?
LM: He just said Stay on hold. We’re thinking about drafting you, so stay on hold.’ I was on hold for a minute and I was just looking at the TV screen and there were a lot of commercials on, so they must have been talking about it. Then he came back and [Coach Belichick] came on and was just breaking it down to me, you know, We drafted for you to come in and compete and help the team out.’ And he was like How do you feel about being a Patriot?’ And I said, I feel good about it.’ Then it came across the TV that New England drafted me and it was a great feeling.
Q: Was it at all frustrating over the last three years that you always had to split carries and that you maybe could have won a Heisman if you hadn’t?
LM: I never looked at it like that because I am a team player first of all. I want to come in and help the team win in any way possible. I don’t mind coming off the bench and helping the team. I don’t need to be in the spotlight. I just want to help the team win. In the situation with me and Marion [Barber], we both knew that we could bring something different to the table and we could both help the team win. We never once complained about who was getting the ball more, because I always felt like it’s what you do with the carries you do get. And I felt like if I can be productive with the carries I do get and I help the team win, then I’m happy.
Q: What has coach told you about your upcoming role this fall?
LM: He just basically told me he was bringing me in to compete and that’s all I can do. Just give me the opportunity that’s all I ask for to compete and at least show what I can do on the next level and that’s basically what the Patriots [did is] brought me in to compete.
Q: How do you feel about your ability to block blitzing linebackers? Where do you think you are in terms of your progress of sticking your nose in and doing that job?
LM: I’d say I’m very good with sticking my nose in now. I’d say the main thing that I have to learn is better technique. I feel like sometimes my technique is not the best but I’ve never had a problem with sticking my nose in there.
Q: Bill Belichick was talking about how the scheme for you is a little different this year with the opportunity to catch a lot more passes.
LM: That was never an issue for me. There were a lot of questions people always wanted to ask can I catch the ball? I feel really comfortable catching the ball. I feel I have good hands. It was just a situation that [running backs] weren’t used as a receiver in the passing offense at the University of Minnesota. I know I can catch. I feel really comfortable about catching.
Q: What about playing with Tom Brady?
LM: He’s a great quarterback. I’ll love to play with him. I feel like I can get along well with him. I met him when I came down to visit. He was a great guy.
Q: There were some concerns about the pad level you play at, that maybe you run a little too standing up. Are you going to work on that or do you think that’s just the way you run and you’re going to stick to it?
LM: I feel like I run low at times. A lot of times... It’s something that, I always feel like there is always room for improvement. I’m not the best that I can be right now. There’s always room for improvement. If they feel like I’m running too high, yes I can improve on that if it’s going to help better me.
Q: What type of pre-draft interaction did you have with the Patriots and Coach Belichick?
LM: I met him at the combine and then I met him again once I took a visit out there. He was just a great guy. We had a great conversation. He was just basically talking about football and how I feel like do I see myself fitting in this offense. And I feel like I fit real well into this offense.
Q: Did Ben [McDaniels] tell you anything about [Offensive Coordinator] Josh McDaniels’ offense up here?
LM: I met him once. His brother coached the defense at my college so I met him once. He came to visit me after my combine and he worked me out a little bit and we sat down and talked football, so I really got a feeling about the Patriots offense.
Q: What were your expectations coming into today? Did you expect to be the second back drafted?
LM: To tell you the truth, I really didn’t. I try not to read and see what people say on the Internet, but the whole time I was fluctuating between the third and fourth running back taken. It was just basically coming in I was going to be the third or fourth back taken so I was just sitting patiently.
Q: What changes do you expect to see in the pro game coming from such a ground- based offense in Minnesota?
LM: I don’t see me making too big of a change, because sitting down... when I had a meeting with Coach McDaniels, I felt like the offense was almost somewhat alike. It was worded differently, there were little small differences, but I feel like I can learn from camp and just practicing.
Q: When you thought about where you might go, was this the kind of team that you wanted?
LM: I didn’t really know where I was going to go. I had no clue where I was going to end up. That’s why I was excited, just to see where I was going to end up. This offense and this team, I feel like it was a perfect fit for me.
Q: Who were some of the teams that showed an interest in you?
LM: Denver called a lot and showed a lot of interest. The Ravens. Jacksonville. The Vikings. A lot of teams showed a lot of interest. I figured that one of them might get me, but once they picked I was like, I really didn’t know where I’m going to end up.’
Q: Were you a Rams fan?
LM: I’m definitely a Rams fan just because it’s my hometown team.
Q: Were you a little bit upset at the Super Bowl a few years ago?
LM: I felt like they gave the game away. [Laughter]
Q: You played many of your games in a dome stadium, and college teams don’t play in January unless they’re in a bowl game in a warm weather climate. It’s very cold here in the late season. How do you think you’ll adjust to that?
LM: I feel like... I had to go to class in this cold weather, so I... there were a couple of games in the Big 10 we had outside in the cold weather, and so it shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve been in the cold weather the last three years so I’m pretty much used to it.
Q: What’s the biggest thing you think you have to learn?
LM: Basically just the offense. They call things differently and do things a lot different. I basically just need to learn the offense and just watch the older folks and learn from them.
Q: Did you talk to any Patriots running backs when you were in town on your visit?
LM: I didn’t see any of them.
Q: Do you think you can come in and contribute as a returner right away?
LM: I feel like I can. I played returner my first year and all three years that I was at the University of Minnesota. I felt like I did fairly good. I feel like I can come in right away and help somewhere.
Q: How did you choose Minnesota coming from St. Louis?
LM: I never watched sports and I just said I needed to pick a team and I didn’t know where to start. I felt like I needed to pick a team close to home, so Illinois was the pick for me. But when I was getting recruited by Illinois, Minnesota came into the picture and I always wanted to go to a school that played Ohio State. I always wanted to go to Illinois, but then once they dropped my scholarship I figured I needed to go to a school that played Illinois and Ohio State, so Minnesota was the best fit for me.
Q: You sound like someone who is very confident.
LM: I have a lot of confidence. I feel like given the opportunity and the chance I can prove that I can play this sport.
Q: One of your better games last year was against Ohio State. Do you get motivated by playing certain teams?
LM: I get motivated every game. Every game is the same to me; I go out there and do my best. But when it’s a bigger game, like Ohio State, it gets your energy level that much higher. They were coming into the game as one of the top rated rushing defenses and everybody was saying Ohio State was going to stop the rush, so I was just trying so hard to prove to everybody that we could run on anybody.
Q: You had a reputation at Minnesota as a loud, funny guy. How do you feel like you’ll fit in a pro locker room?
LM: I feel like I will fit well. I feel like I bring a lot of energy to a team. I’m just an outgoing person. I just like to have fun and play football.
Q: You have a couple of interesting nicknames: Lo-Mo and Koolaid?
LM: Those were the names that I had.
Q: How did you get the name Koolaid?
LM: It was the name given to me when I was in the first or second grade that I got... and it just stuck with me ever since.
Q: How do you feel about competing with Corey Dillon for the starting job here?
LM: I feel good about it. I feel like competition only brings the best out of everybody so I feel like competing against him because he’s a great player and I feel like I can be a great player one day so I feel like competition is the best thing for me.
Q: The last time the Patriots selected a running back in the first round was Robert Edwards. Are you planning on playing any flag football contests in the next few months?
LM: No, I don’t plan on doing any of that.
Q: You fumbled the ball twice last year. Have you always had the ability to hold onto the ball, or is that an area you improved in over time?
LM: In three years, out of 600-and-something carries, I only fumbled four times in my career, so I feel like I got a pretty good grip on the ball.
