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University of Minnesota Athletics
Kill Spring Game Press Conference Highlights
4/23/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Head Coach Jerry Kill Post-Spring Game Press Conference
Opening statement ...
"It was certainly great to work with the kids over the past practices and get in our 15th and final (spring) practice today. I look forward to watching the tape and evaluating how they did and their technique and fundamentals etc. But it's been a good thing. We'd like to turn around and have 15 more practices, but we can't. I do think that there is progress being made. Infant steps. A lot of learning, a lot of kids in different situations, positions, etc. But I do think that the learning is taking place. We got (all the players) a lot repetition and hopefully they'll continue to get better. The critical period for these young men is how they are going to react from right now until the end of the summer and what they are going to do. Any success that we hope to have will be in how hard they chose to work in the summertime. Hopefully (the team) understands that and what it takes to be successful."
On what the team needs to do in order to be successful ...
"I'll tell you that the whole key to this team is. The team has to take where they left off today and when we start two-a-day camp, we better be better. In other words, what they do this summer, I can't go back and start over. We have to start from where we left off today and keep climbing. They're going to have to do a great job this summer in taking care of business and doing what they need to do to get better. So we will see what they are all about."
On getting in front of a few thousand people Saturday ...
"I don't think there is any question that it (helps the players' motivation). I want to compliment the state of Minnesota and all of the fans. We opened up spring practice to the public for the first time in a long time here and we probably averaged nearly 100-300 people at practice every day. When people are on the sideline watching, the kids are going to practice better. I learned that from Bobby Ross ... I think that anytime you get the players practicing out in front of people, and certainly we did that today, it will make them perform better ... Every practice we have we try to make it like game day. I want teams that are going to play with intensity. With the repetition we've gotten from spring practice, we've probably played the equivalent of two games each day. Today was actually the least reps we've taken all spring, by far."
On expectations of the team ...
"I just want to get better. I want to get better every day and that's all you can do. That's all you can control in life and that's all I've been saying for the last 28 years of coaching. If we continue to get better, then good things will happen to us. If we don't get better, we'll struggle with some things. But just getting better every day is all you can do. You set the ultimate goals, but you win daily in life. You have to work hard every day and if you continue to do so and create good habits, then good things happen to you. So we're just going to take it one step at a time and get better every day."
On addressing the talent level of the team ...
"We need more speed and more athleticism. That's something I've said from the beginning when I came in. And we just have to increase it. That's not going to happen overnight and we will keep plugging along. We're going to have to utilize the talent that we have and I think we can. I think there are certainly some kids who can do some things and we have to get them in the right place and keep them healthy, which is probably the biggest key. We'll also continue emphasize speed when we recruit."
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