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University of Minnesota Athletics
Answers From The Alumni - Darrell Reid
3/18/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Gophersports.com recently caught up with former University of Minnesota defensive lineman and current Indianapolis Colt Darrell Reid to talk about his impressions of the new-look Gopher Football program, how his energy matches up with the energy of Coach Brewster and his staff and his amazing run to a world championship with the Colts.
GS.com: What have been your initial impressions of Coach Brewster?
DR: He has definitely got a lot of charisma and a lot of energy. I definitely love his energy. I really like the tradition that he is bringing back to the program. He has really reached back to the alumni and I think that is great. He is trying to put the program together and make the program the best it can be. I definitely like to see that and I love to see the program continue to move in the right direction.
GS.com: You had a chance to get out and watch the first spring scrimmage. What has it meant to you to see Coach Brewster’s inclusion of former players and coaches such as yourself being involved not only in attending practice, but speaking to the team?
DR: It means a lot to me, and it means a lot that he thought about those things this early on. He is trying to get a team prepared – a new look offense, a new look defense – so he has a lot on his plate - learning players’ names and what they can do, their strengths and weaknesses, handling recruiting - he has a lot on his plate already, so for him to take the time and reach back to the older guys, the guys who came before him that he didn’t coach, just for him to reach back is incredible. I heard that he reached back to Coach (Murray) Warmath, so just to hear things like that are good for the program.
GS.com: You have always been known as one of the most high-energy guys in the game. How exciting is that for you to see the energy these coaches have brought to practice and do you think this would have been a perfect fit for your playing style?
DR: I believe so. As far as I saw from being at that first scrimmage and from being around the new coaching staff, Coach Brewster has brought a new culture. Even the players I have talked to tell me about what he has already brought to the program, how the attitude around there has changed already. It isn’t tight, everyone is loose and having a good time and brining the fun back to the game. You need that. Guys are really having a good time now but still handling their business. Like I said, it is great for the program.
GS.com: Have you had a chance to talk to some of the current players and what have you heard?
DR: I haven’t met a guy who has said anything bad about Coach Brewster. They love him and his coaching staff. Since I am a defensive lineman, I here all about the D-line coach, Coach (Tim) Cross. I heard a lot about him and his energy and how it would have been great for me to play under him and I wish I would have had that opportunity. Even when the coaches let me watch some film with them I could see how they have our defense playing fast already. They get after it and get up the field and try to force the issue. I would have loved that and I think I would have thrived and enjoyed this sort of system.
GS.com: You were one of the few guys who talked about going to the Rose Bowl during your playing days here. Coach Brewster has been talking about the same thing since day one. How important is it to always have that thought and goal in the front of your mind?
DR: I always thought about and talked about going to the Rose Bowl during college, but I didn’t realize how important setting that goal is until I started playing for the Colts. You have to set goals, several goals, but the most important goal is always a championship. When you are in college, the most important goal when you are in the Big Ten is the Rose Bowl. So to set that goal and have it there to continuously reach for – like Coach Brewster did – he made it a realistic goal. He really believes in his heart that we are going to go to the Rose Bowl while he is here. Real soon. Just to have that kind of confidence in his players and in his coaching staff is great for the program and great for everybody’s attitude.
GS.com: How was the journey for you last season with the Colts that led to a world championship in the Super Bowl?
DR: Before I go into last year, it really started the previous year when we went on that long winning streak and won 13 games in a row, but then we got bumped out of the playoffs against the Steelers, who went on to win the Super Bowl. That is where it really started. The attitude that everybody came back to camp with is where the journey began. You have to point to the veterans on our team because during the season it was up-and-down. People counted us out because we couldn’t do this or we couldn’t do that (or they said) we didn’t look like the team from the year before. Ultimately, it was really all about timing. We got players back from injury and started clicking at the right time and we rolled. Peyton (Manning) put his confidence in us and we put our confidence in him and that enabled us to win the Super Bowl.
GS.com: The Colts go from being the predators to being the prey. How will that change your approach heading into the 2007 season?
DR: It definitely isn’t going to be hard to get motivated again. It will be a tough road, but it was a tough road last year. I think as long as we have that leadership at the top starting with Coach (Tony) Dungy and trickling down from the veterans on this team - guys who started working out the first day that you can starting working out as a team, things like that are important. Our veteran leaders do everything in the framework of the team. They don’t work out individually, they work out with the team because they want the team to know that they are there for them every morning. They thrive on winning.
GS.com: Coming up, did you ever think you would have a career that would blossom like it did for you from high school to college and from college to the pros?
DR: It is a dream, like it would be for everyone who goes to the Super Bowl. There are some guys that play for nine, 10, 11 years and never get that opportunity, so for me to be able to do that in my second year is really something special. I feel blessed that it came true this early in my life and this early in my career. I never could have imagined it. I couldn’t even imagine going to the pros let alone winning the Super Bowl.
GS.com: Coach Brewster is a Jersey guy just like you. Is the fact that he is from Jersey enough for him to take this thing to the next level?
DR: I hope so because I would love to see Minnesota get to that next level and there is nobody pulling for another Jersey guy as much as I am for Coach Brewster.
GS.com: Anything you would like to say to Gopher Nation?
DR: I just want to thank the fans once again for all of their support of me over the years. I loved the fans at Minnesota and they still welcome me back every time I come back and I always appreciate that. They have made Minnesota a second home to me.
GS.com: What have been your initial impressions of Coach Brewster?
DR: He has definitely got a lot of charisma and a lot of energy. I definitely love his energy. I really like the tradition that he is bringing back to the program. He has really reached back to the alumni and I think that is great. He is trying to put the program together and make the program the best it can be. I definitely like to see that and I love to see the program continue to move in the right direction.
GS.com: You had a chance to get out and watch the first spring scrimmage. What has it meant to you to see Coach Brewster’s inclusion of former players and coaches such as yourself being involved not only in attending practice, but speaking to the team?
DR: It means a lot to me, and it means a lot that he thought about those things this early on. He is trying to get a team prepared – a new look offense, a new look defense – so he has a lot on his plate - learning players’ names and what they can do, their strengths and weaknesses, handling recruiting - he has a lot on his plate already, so for him to take the time and reach back to the older guys, the guys who came before him that he didn’t coach, just for him to reach back is incredible. I heard that he reached back to Coach (Murray) Warmath, so just to hear things like that are good for the program.
GS.com: You have always been known as one of the most high-energy guys in the game. How exciting is that for you to see the energy these coaches have brought to practice and do you think this would have been a perfect fit for your playing style?
DR: I believe so. As far as I saw from being at that first scrimmage and from being around the new coaching staff, Coach Brewster has brought a new culture. Even the players I have talked to tell me about what he has already brought to the program, how the attitude around there has changed already. It isn’t tight, everyone is loose and having a good time and brining the fun back to the game. You need that. Guys are really having a good time now but still handling their business. Like I said, it is great for the program.
GS.com: Have you had a chance to talk to some of the current players and what have you heard?
DR: I haven’t met a guy who has said anything bad about Coach Brewster. They love him and his coaching staff. Since I am a defensive lineman, I here all about the D-line coach, Coach (Tim) Cross. I heard a lot about him and his energy and how it would have been great for me to play under him and I wish I would have had that opportunity. Even when the coaches let me watch some film with them I could see how they have our defense playing fast already. They get after it and get up the field and try to force the issue. I would have loved that and I think I would have thrived and enjoyed this sort of system.
GS.com: You were one of the few guys who talked about going to the Rose Bowl during your playing days here. Coach Brewster has been talking about the same thing since day one. How important is it to always have that thought and goal in the front of your mind?
DR: I always thought about and talked about going to the Rose Bowl during college, but I didn’t realize how important setting that goal is until I started playing for the Colts. You have to set goals, several goals, but the most important goal is always a championship. When you are in college, the most important goal when you are in the Big Ten is the Rose Bowl. So to set that goal and have it there to continuously reach for – like Coach Brewster did – he made it a realistic goal. He really believes in his heart that we are going to go to the Rose Bowl while he is here. Real soon. Just to have that kind of confidence in his players and in his coaching staff is great for the program and great for everybody’s attitude.
GS.com: How was the journey for you last season with the Colts that led to a world championship in the Super Bowl?
DR: Before I go into last year, it really started the previous year when we went on that long winning streak and won 13 games in a row, but then we got bumped out of the playoffs against the Steelers, who went on to win the Super Bowl. That is where it really started. The attitude that everybody came back to camp with is where the journey began. You have to point to the veterans on our team because during the season it was up-and-down. People counted us out because we couldn’t do this or we couldn’t do that (or they said) we didn’t look like the team from the year before. Ultimately, it was really all about timing. We got players back from injury and started clicking at the right time and we rolled. Peyton (Manning) put his confidence in us and we put our confidence in him and that enabled us to win the Super Bowl.
GS.com: The Colts go from being the predators to being the prey. How will that change your approach heading into the 2007 season?
DR: It definitely isn’t going to be hard to get motivated again. It will be a tough road, but it was a tough road last year. I think as long as we have that leadership at the top starting with Coach (Tony) Dungy and trickling down from the veterans on this team - guys who started working out the first day that you can starting working out as a team, things like that are important. Our veteran leaders do everything in the framework of the team. They don’t work out individually, they work out with the team because they want the team to know that they are there for them every morning. They thrive on winning.
GS.com: Coming up, did you ever think you would have a career that would blossom like it did for you from high school to college and from college to the pros?
DR: It is a dream, like it would be for everyone who goes to the Super Bowl. There are some guys that play for nine, 10, 11 years and never get that opportunity, so for me to be able to do that in my second year is really something special. I feel blessed that it came true this early in my life and this early in my career. I never could have imagined it. I couldn’t even imagine going to the pros let alone winning the Super Bowl.
GS.com: Coach Brewster is a Jersey guy just like you. Is the fact that he is from Jersey enough for him to take this thing to the next level?
DR: I hope so because I would love to see Minnesota get to that next level and there is nobody pulling for another Jersey guy as much as I am for Coach Brewster.
GS.com: Anything you would like to say to Gopher Nation?
DR: I just want to thank the fans once again for all of their support of me over the years. I loved the fans at Minnesota and they still welcome me back every time I come back and I always appreciate that. They have made Minnesota a second home to me.
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