University of Minnesota Athletics
Golden Gophers Meet the Media to Talk about Spring Ball
3/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Gopher head football coach Tim Brewster and selected players addressed the media at a press conference Tuesday afternoon to discuss the team's outlook for spring practice. The Gopher football spring game will take place April 25 at 7 p.m. in the Metrodome.
Coach Brewster, Spring Press Conference (3/25/08): Question and Answer portion:
On how many position changes he expects to come out of spring practice:
“I think we’ve done a pretty job of identifying where kids should be and so that they can compete at a high level. I don’t anticipate many position changes at all.”
On how many signees will be at spring practice:
“The junior college kids other than Trey Simmons are here, and Matt Carufel. There’s four of the class instead of five.”
On how different the spring team will be than the team that will play next fall:
“We’ve got a group of guys coming in June that we expect will help us next season, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. We’ve got a whole bunch of kids coming that love to play the game. We signed 31 kids total, and 20 of them are on the defensive side of the ball. A lot of our team will change next fall, without question.”
On what players he expects to step up as leaders:
“Leadership is critical to anything you’re going to do, and I’m asking for these guys to step up and be leaders for our football team. Every team I’ve ever been on, the quarterback has been a tremendous leader, so we’re going to put pressure on the quarterback this year. Last season, it was Adam Weber and we’ll see how that works out. That position has got to be an outstanding leader. You look at guys on the defensive side Lee Campbell, Willie VanDeSteeg, (Eric) Smalls... There’s another guy I didn’t talk about who is going to play linebacker for us and that’s Rex Sharp, another junior college kid from Arizona Western who came from Birmingham, Alabama who we’re really excited about. These guys are all going to be excellent leaders for us, so I don’t think that’s going to be an issue.”
On who the captains are going to be:
“We want to get through spring and see who it is... A lot of people talk about leadership and leading through example. A captain is not a leader by example a captain is a leader by all things. He’s a leader verbally, he’s a leader by action, he’s a leader in the classroom. We’ve really got to study exactly who those guys are. A guy may be a great football player, but if he’s not going to class, he’s not a great leader. We’ve really got to study exactly who is doing things right every day. It’s critical for us to choose those guys so that they can lead us into summer conditioning.”
On whether new defensive coordinator Ted Roof will institute a lot of changes this spring:
“I don’t think Ted is going to flood them (with new information) right away. What we’re going to try to do it keep this as simple as we possibly can. There’s a certain amount of complexity that’s going to be involved, because it’s a complex game. But we don’t want to inundate those guys with a whole lot of stuff that’s going to have them thinking instead of reacting. The biggest challenge we have as a defensive football team is playing in space; the game is now played in space. Our ability to rush the passer and force the ball out of the passer’s hand is going to be critical to our success more than anything with our pass rush.”
“We need to eliminate the explosive plays. We did a pretty good job of limiting them on first and second down, but we gave up far too many explosive plays on third down, and I think that’s where we’ve got to do a better job. Ted Roof has done more with less for a long time. He’s a very sound fundamental coach; we’ve just been talking about alignment, assignment and tackle, all the fundamental things you’ve got to do.”
On the amount of depth at quarterback:
“The one thing that Adam Weber is learning, as well as all the quarterbacks in this system, is that it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a very complex system; there’s a lot to it. I think asking a kid to come in as a true freshman and learn it all would be very difficult. Our philosophy is to sign one great quarterback every year, and to have tremendous competition at that position.”
“Our understanding is that it isn’t going to happen overnight; these kids are going to have to develop into great players. Adam (Weber) will tell you that he had a difficult time learning the system, but as the season rolled on I think he really settled down and relaxed. Overall I think Adam had a heck of a year and I anticipate Adam to be a whole lot better next year.”
On working out David Pittman at multiple positions:
“I guess we’re just going to have to wear him out. He’s a dynamic young kid who has a lot of energy and passion for the game, so we’re going to get him in. As far as learning the quarterback position, we feel that working him in from the front end of it would really learn the receiver position and things of that nature.”
On the gap between the starters and backups going into the season, as compared to last year:
“We’d like to have more depth obviously. We’d like to have more competition at all positions. The thing you learn in college is that coaches have to take (guys) and make them better. We lost a lot close games last year and our kids played their hearts out. But we as a coaching staff have to do a better job of taking the kids we have and going out there to win games. This isn’t the National Football League where you have a chance to trade and the waivers and that type of stuff. We have to take what we have and win.”
On the importance of off-the-field issues this spring:
“It’s real important. It’s a tremendous honor to play for this University and this football program. It’s something we talk to these players on a consistent basis about that sort of thing it’s a real honor and a privaledge to wear the Maroon and Gold, and those who don’t do that won’t wear it. I’ve been very clear with that. It’s just so important to me that our football team represents this school and this state. Those that refuse to study history are doomed to repeat it.”
“We had the issue the other night with our signee Kevin Whaley. Kevin Whaley is an unbelievable kid, he’s a great kid. People say What is Kevin Whaely doing out so late at night?’ The kid was on spring break. I don’t know the details; all I know is that Kevin Whaley is a great kid, and he’s fortunate to be alive today. We’ve said our prayers the last couple of days, thankful that we’ll have Kevin with us this fall. Whether or not Kevin did anything all, I can’t say at all. If kids do do something wrong, that’s something that we discuss, and we’ll take the proper steps.”
“I’ll tell you what it’s a tremendous responsibility for me. As the head football coach here, I’ve got 120 sons. I take it very seriously how each and every one of them behaves. I’d like to see that every one of them is a deacon in the church and behaves on a consistent basis, but that’s not reality and that’s not life. What we do need to do is be sure that when we do make a mistake, that we learn from it.”
On whether or not Whaley will play next fall:
“I talked to Kevin he’s up and walking. His coach seems to think he’s going to be just fine. I talked to his mom... I don’t know 100 percent the exact seriousness of it. They may have done some surgery... I talked to Kevin yesterday and he was very upbeat, very positive. He said Coach Brew, I can’t run the 40, but I was out in the hallway walking.’ You think about that situation, how you could have lost a kid. The high school coach told me that there’s a situation in Tidewater and Virginia Beach where there is a lot of jealously towards kids who are doing well and doing something good with their lives. Here’s a kid that could have gone to Virginia, Michigan State he could have gone wherever he wanted to go. There’s a lot of jealously towards him. It was a directed act of violence.”
Quarterback Adam Weber
On his expectations for the 2008 season:
“I’m hold myself to a higher level of expectations because I see a lot of things that I can improve on after watching a lot of film of myself. I’ve had a great opportunity to learn the system and to watch and learn and get better. I’m ready to show some of that improvement here during spring ball.”
On what he’s been working on thus far this offseason:
“I’ve just been working with the coaches and watching a lot of tape. I’ve used that time to decide just what it is I need to work on. Also, it’s deciding what we need to do as a team where we need to improve as a team and working to get us there. We’re going to work hard and it’s going to be a process, but we’re excited.”
On not having wide receiver Eric Decker who is playing baseball - available for spring football:
“Well, he’s doing his thing and you just don’t want to hold a guy like that back that’s such a tremendous athlete. He’ll be back and ready to go in the fall and we’re looking forward to that.”
On competing for the starting quarterback position:
“Just because I was the starter last year doesn’t mean that I’m going to be the starter this year. The precedent has been set by the coaches that the best players will play. With a year under my belt, that should give me an advantage to make the squad every year I’m here to be able to improve every day. I’m ready for that challenge even though there’s that different feel. I think it takes an understanding of the offense to be able to go out there and make plays. I think that should allow me to stay at the starting spot.”
Linebacker Steve Davis
On the team’s offseason mentality:
“In order to get where we want to go, the coaches are going to ask us to pick up our intensity. Right now and throughout the entire winter workout, guys have been competing and have been working hard. Guys are a lot stronger and bigger in the weight room. We’re getting ready for spring ball here and ready to get working again.
“Sitting at home after the season was over and watching everybody else play in a big bowl game kind of ticks you off. Last year was the first time since I’ve been here that we haven’t been to a bowl game. It makes you want it even more, especially because of how the season ended.”
On the atmosphere of competition:
“Coming into this year, we’re even more hungry. We’re starving. We’ve been out here trying to get better, trying to get bigger and stronger. Competition is getting stronger, so I think that’ll make things better here this spring. Once the new guys come in this summer, there will be even more competition. The people that really want to play will continue to get better.”
Coach Brewster, Spring Press Conference (3/25/08): Question and Answer portion:
On how many position changes he expects to come out of spring practice:
“I think we’ve done a pretty job of identifying where kids should be and so that they can compete at a high level. I don’t anticipate many position changes at all.”
On how many signees will be at spring practice:
“The junior college kids other than Trey Simmons are here, and Matt Carufel. There’s four of the class instead of five.”
On how different the spring team will be than the team that will play next fall:
“We’ve got a group of guys coming in June that we expect will help us next season, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. We’ve got a whole bunch of kids coming that love to play the game. We signed 31 kids total, and 20 of them are on the defensive side of the ball. A lot of our team will change next fall, without question.”
On what players he expects to step up as leaders:
“Leadership is critical to anything you’re going to do, and I’m asking for these guys to step up and be leaders for our football team. Every team I’ve ever been on, the quarterback has been a tremendous leader, so we’re going to put pressure on the quarterback this year. Last season, it was Adam Weber and we’ll see how that works out. That position has got to be an outstanding leader. You look at guys on the defensive side Lee Campbell, Willie VanDeSteeg, (Eric) Smalls... There’s another guy I didn’t talk about who is going to play linebacker for us and that’s Rex Sharp, another junior college kid from Arizona Western who came from Birmingham, Alabama who we’re really excited about. These guys are all going to be excellent leaders for us, so I don’t think that’s going to be an issue.”
On who the captains are going to be:
“We want to get through spring and see who it is... A lot of people talk about leadership and leading through example. A captain is not a leader by example a captain is a leader by all things. He’s a leader verbally, he’s a leader by action, he’s a leader in the classroom. We’ve really got to study exactly who those guys are. A guy may be a great football player, but if he’s not going to class, he’s not a great leader. We’ve really got to study exactly who is doing things right every day. It’s critical for us to choose those guys so that they can lead us into summer conditioning.”
On whether new defensive coordinator Ted Roof will institute a lot of changes this spring:
“I don’t think Ted is going to flood them (with new information) right away. What we’re going to try to do it keep this as simple as we possibly can. There’s a certain amount of complexity that’s going to be involved, because it’s a complex game. But we don’t want to inundate those guys with a whole lot of stuff that’s going to have them thinking instead of reacting. The biggest challenge we have as a defensive football team is playing in space; the game is now played in space. Our ability to rush the passer and force the ball out of the passer’s hand is going to be critical to our success more than anything with our pass rush.”
“We need to eliminate the explosive plays. We did a pretty good job of limiting them on first and second down, but we gave up far too many explosive plays on third down, and I think that’s where we’ve got to do a better job. Ted Roof has done more with less for a long time. He’s a very sound fundamental coach; we’ve just been talking about alignment, assignment and tackle, all the fundamental things you’ve got to do.”
On the amount of depth at quarterback:
“The one thing that Adam Weber is learning, as well as all the quarterbacks in this system, is that it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a very complex system; there’s a lot to it. I think asking a kid to come in as a true freshman and learn it all would be very difficult. Our philosophy is to sign one great quarterback every year, and to have tremendous competition at that position.”
“Our understanding is that it isn’t going to happen overnight; these kids are going to have to develop into great players. Adam (Weber) will tell you that he had a difficult time learning the system, but as the season rolled on I think he really settled down and relaxed. Overall I think Adam had a heck of a year and I anticipate Adam to be a whole lot better next year.”
On working out David Pittman at multiple positions:
“I guess we’re just going to have to wear him out. He’s a dynamic young kid who has a lot of energy and passion for the game, so we’re going to get him in. As far as learning the quarterback position, we feel that working him in from the front end of it would really learn the receiver position and things of that nature.”
On the gap between the starters and backups going into the season, as compared to last year:
“We’d like to have more depth obviously. We’d like to have more competition at all positions. The thing you learn in college is that coaches have to take (guys) and make them better. We lost a lot close games last year and our kids played their hearts out. But we as a coaching staff have to do a better job of taking the kids we have and going out there to win games. This isn’t the National Football League where you have a chance to trade and the waivers and that type of stuff. We have to take what we have and win.”
On the importance of off-the-field issues this spring:
“It’s real important. It’s a tremendous honor to play for this University and this football program. It’s something we talk to these players on a consistent basis about that sort of thing it’s a real honor and a privaledge to wear the Maroon and Gold, and those who don’t do that won’t wear it. I’ve been very clear with that. It’s just so important to me that our football team represents this school and this state. Those that refuse to study history are doomed to repeat it.”
“We had the issue the other night with our signee Kevin Whaley. Kevin Whaley is an unbelievable kid, he’s a great kid. People say What is Kevin Whaely doing out so late at night?’ The kid was on spring break. I don’t know the details; all I know is that Kevin Whaley is a great kid, and he’s fortunate to be alive today. We’ve said our prayers the last couple of days, thankful that we’ll have Kevin with us this fall. Whether or not Kevin did anything all, I can’t say at all. If kids do do something wrong, that’s something that we discuss, and we’ll take the proper steps.”
“I’ll tell you what it’s a tremendous responsibility for me. As the head football coach here, I’ve got 120 sons. I take it very seriously how each and every one of them behaves. I’d like to see that every one of them is a deacon in the church and behaves on a consistent basis, but that’s not reality and that’s not life. What we do need to do is be sure that when we do make a mistake, that we learn from it.”
On whether or not Whaley will play next fall:
“I talked to Kevin he’s up and walking. His coach seems to think he’s going to be just fine. I talked to his mom... I don’t know 100 percent the exact seriousness of it. They may have done some surgery... I talked to Kevin yesterday and he was very upbeat, very positive. He said Coach Brew, I can’t run the 40, but I was out in the hallway walking.’ You think about that situation, how you could have lost a kid. The high school coach told me that there’s a situation in Tidewater and Virginia Beach where there is a lot of jealously towards kids who are doing well and doing something good with their lives. Here’s a kid that could have gone to Virginia, Michigan State he could have gone wherever he wanted to go. There’s a lot of jealously towards him. It was a directed act of violence.”
Quarterback Adam Weber
On his expectations for the 2008 season:
“I’m hold myself to a higher level of expectations because I see a lot of things that I can improve on after watching a lot of film of myself. I’ve had a great opportunity to learn the system and to watch and learn and get better. I’m ready to show some of that improvement here during spring ball.”
On what he’s been working on thus far this offseason:
“I’ve just been working with the coaches and watching a lot of tape. I’ve used that time to decide just what it is I need to work on. Also, it’s deciding what we need to do as a team where we need to improve as a team and working to get us there. We’re going to work hard and it’s going to be a process, but we’re excited.”
On not having wide receiver Eric Decker who is playing baseball - available for spring football:
“Well, he’s doing his thing and you just don’t want to hold a guy like that back that’s such a tremendous athlete. He’ll be back and ready to go in the fall and we’re looking forward to that.”
On competing for the starting quarterback position:
“Just because I was the starter last year doesn’t mean that I’m going to be the starter this year. The precedent has been set by the coaches that the best players will play. With a year under my belt, that should give me an advantage to make the squad every year I’m here to be able to improve every day. I’m ready for that challenge even though there’s that different feel. I think it takes an understanding of the offense to be able to go out there and make plays. I think that should allow me to stay at the starting spot.”
Linebacker Steve Davis
On the team’s offseason mentality:
“In order to get where we want to go, the coaches are going to ask us to pick up our intensity. Right now and throughout the entire winter workout, guys have been competing and have been working hard. Guys are a lot stronger and bigger in the weight room. We’re getting ready for spring ball here and ready to get working again.
“Sitting at home after the season was over and watching everybody else play in a big bowl game kind of ticks you off. Last year was the first time since I’ve been here that we haven’t been to a bowl game. It makes you want it even more, especially because of how the season ended.”
On the atmosphere of competition:
“Coming into this year, we’re even more hungry. We’re starving. We’ve been out here trying to get better, trying to get bigger and stronger. Competition is getting stronger, so I think that’ll make things better here this spring. Once the new guys come in this summer, there will be even more competition. The people that really want to play will continue to get better.”
Players Mentioned
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