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University of Minnesota Athletics
Player Quotes from Sept. 1 Press Conference
9/2/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Senior Wide Receiver Eric Decker
On starting the season on a good note
“We had a good camp with some good preparation. The defense looks good and the offense is rolling along. There have been a lot of good things here in the last couple of weeks. I’m very excited for this Saturday. It’s going to be an exciting time for us, especially the senior class.”
On the team’s offseason workload
“This offseason we worked hard and put a lot of time in the weight room and on the field with the new offensive coordinator. Offensively and defensively, we had to learn some new schemes. A lot of the work was done in the offseason and now it will be exciting when everything counts.”
On his health
“I feel great. This is the best I’ve felt going into the season in the past four years. That’s something to be excited about, because health is a big thing. To play all 12 games is going to be the challenge this year.”
On being nominated for various awards
“It’s quite an honor, but I’m just one guy on a squad. I need to do my job to make this team better. My mentality is to come to practice every day and work hard and those things will take care of themselves.”
On the new offensive changes
“We have some different formations and motions. We’re going to try and keep the defense on their toes. The biggest thing is we are going to try and run the ball well.”
Senior Linebacker Lee Campbell
On the defense’s preparations for Syracuse QB Greg Paulus
“It’s tough because we know what kind of player he [Greg Paulus] was in high school, but you have to be prepared for anything. I think going up against great quarterbacks like Adam Weber and MarQueis Gray have prepared us a lot for him. We have to worry about a dual threat with Gray and a pocket passer with Weber. So, I think we are pretty prepared for Saturday, Anytime you go up against a quarterback, you want to put pressure on them. You don’t really know what to expect (with Paulus), but I think we’ve been prepared well. I think we are ready to get after him.”
On replacing Willie Van DeSteeg
“It’s going to be tough to fill his shoes. I definitely think we have the guys to do it. We have some great defensive tackles and ends. Overall, I think we have a really good pass rush with our linebackers and defensive backs.“
Junior Quarterback Adam Weber
On Minnesota’s tough schedule
“With the cards that have been dealt and the schedule that we have, we only have one way to look at it and that is playing these tough teams is only going to make us a better team along the way. In our past we’ve fallen apart toward the end of the season and we believe that playing tougher teams will only prepare us for a tough conference schedule that we have. At Penn State and at Ohio State are two tough matchups where we’ll have to battle. We have a solid team that can go out there and win some games.”
On playing in the Carrier Dome
“It’s a little ironic that we’ve been playing in the (Metro)dome and we couldn’t wait to get out of it and now in our first game we are in a dome again. It’s a little funny, but it will be exciting because we know they are going to get nice and loud for us. It will be nice to be on the opposite end and know how teams felt coming to our dome. It will be a good way to start the season.”
On facing Syracuse
“You kind of get tired going up against the same guys every day. I’m sure our offensive linemen are tired of hitting the same guys. That first game will have that extra excitement of getting after somebody else.”
On starting the season
“There’s a lot of excitement and we’re going into this thing with a lot of confidence. We feel we have a veteran team with a lot of guys who have played in many situations before. That is something you can’t teach and coach. Experience is something that you get along the way. We feel that we have a very experienced team that has an opportunity, if we come together, to get this season rolling.”
On Minnesota’s receiving corps
“It’s nice when you have those easy drives where you don’t have to do too much. It’s all about getting the ball into playmakers’ hands. That’s something that Coach Fisch does a great job of by moving the ball around and getting the ball into playmakers’ hands. That’s how we’re going to win games, putting the ball up in the air and letting those talented receivers go up to get it.”
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