BATON ROUGE — On Sunday afternoon at the LSU Football Operations Center, head coach Les Miles along with defensive coordinator Bo Pelini and offensive coordinator Gary Crowton addressed the media at the team’s annual Media Day event. Watch the full press conferences now in the Geaux Zone.
Not a member? Join now to save $15 off the annual premium subscription.
Media Day Press Conference
August 12, 2007
COACH LES MILES
THE MODERATOR: Coach has joined us.
COACH MILES: I apologize for being a little late, but this is a cramped schedule. We’re trying to adjust two‑deeps, kicking teams. Come off a nice scrimmage. You know, we’re doing our jobs. Sometimes it doesn’t mesh comfortably with the schedule.
We’ve had 10 straight practices. Guys have worked extremely hard. I think there’s improvement in all three phases. I like the position of the team right now. I think we’re a ways away from, you know, playing a game. Certainly we’re improving. We’re getting there.
I can tell you that offensively I think the three new coaches that have joined the staff have done a great job. They’re working with some newcomers that will have impact on our offense, trying to get the ball to them. How that all fits is a constant focus and a constant piece of every practice schedule. But I think they’ve done a great job getting their players in the right positions and getting an offense called that will reflect our best players.
Defensively I think we’re ahead of the offense on that side of the ball. Very talented. Difficult to move the football. They’re in their third year. It appears that they’re performing well. I know that, you know, our level of expectation there is very, very high. Certainly there’s improvement to be made there. But I think we’re in pretty good shape there.
Special teams, looks like our punter’s going to punt the ball well. Patrick Fisher, you know, that’s a great piece for us, to have a guy that can go back there and boom a ball with real strength.
Our teams are coming. A bunch of guys, a bunch of youthful guys, trying to find two‑deep positions, play a lot of football in the teams. There’s a lot of competition in that area. Again, moves were made even off the last scrimmage to advantage some of those young guys, get them in position where they could win a job.
Came off the scrimmage with a couple nicks. Jacob Cutrera will probably miss a couple of days, if not longer. Perry Riley, both at linebacker, a little nicked. It appears both will be ready for the first game. Perry might be ready quicker than Jacob. But I think we’ve kept Will Arnold out of the mix so he can come on and heal. I think that that’s coming along. What we have to do is figure out how much we can count on him. He’s getting better in health, but we’re going to have to tax him here in the next two weeks to find out exactly what we can count on from him.
I can tell you that rankings and talk of championships are always premature before a season. If you can see fit not to concern yourself overly with that, our football team right now is preparing to be a quality football team and improve in all three areas and be prepared to play extremely well in the opener.
We understand where the rankings are. We enjoy the fact that if we play well and achieve, come the end of the season, that pre‑season ranking can put us in a position to play for the title. That’s wonderful. But right now it’s a two‑a‑day schedule, hard work, attention to detail, and focus on what is our daily task. So I enjoy seeing a lot of folks here, see the old regulars, but there’s some guys and ladies here you don’t get to see every day. So thanks for coming on board. We encourage you to ask a question or two at this point.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. Coach, can you talk about the right side Lyle Hitt and Carnell Stewart, also the three young pups, Barksdale, Jarvis Jones and Ernie McCoy, so far how they’re looking.
COACH MILES: I think improvement’s being made by Lyle Hitt, and Carnell Stewart. I think those guys, it will be hard for them not to be our starters. But, again, they’re young. They’re learning the position. Their improvement is daily. That’s good.
They are being pushed by, in my opinion, a quality group of young offensive linemen in Joe Barksdale being probably the right side behind Carnell, really improving. He’s just really come to the offensive side at the beginning of this camp, yet is showing that he has real potential there. The other young tackles, Jones, is a tough, long, very talented left tackle and will provide us with some depth and ability to play, in my opinion, this year at the left tackle. Previous then Ernest McCoy is a 6’6″, 330‑pounder, who is going to be as talented a guy as we’ve had around here. The difference is, he just has to get his bearings in the offense. As soon as he gets that, I think all those guys will play. But I think a little ahead of that crew would be Barksdale and Jarvis Jones, the two might be a little ahead at the tackle spot, and provide some real competition for our starters there.
Q. You said that the defense right now is ahead of the offense. Is that how wanted it? Would you rather have the offense come along a little slower? Speaking of defense, how is Glenn Dorsey?
COACH MILES: Glenn by health is going to be ready to play next week. It was no more than precautionary. He could have played Saturday, but we just held him out. I believe that with each team, the veteran piece of that team should be ahead. I enjoy a defense ‑‑ the defense doesn’t have all of their components in yet either. As the installation continues, the defense will change. The change can be a lot quicker with a veteran group. I think that you see that right now with our defense. Our guys have lined up in those spots, heard these calls, are pretty comfortable with what’s going on there. It’s not necessarily the most important that the defense start fastest, just as long as it comes together as we approach game week, that’s all.
Q. What freshmen do you see standing out so far in camp?
COACH MILES: I think there’s a number of those guys. I think a young offensive line, it’s very unusual for me to talk about a second team freshman offensive tackle, but Joe Barksdale and Jones are exceptional guys. But you’ve seen a number of them. Chad Jones, it looks like he’s going to be a talented guy, maybe take first snaps and teams. I think Stevan Ridley comes in, a runningback, carrying the ball well, playing well on teams. I think he’s going to get snaps and teams. I think Jarrett Lee is a quality ‑‑ I think he had a nice drive in a two‑minute drill in a scrimmage yesterday. And Terrance Toliver is a guy who currently may not know exactly the route he’s supposed to run, but at 6’4″, running fast through the secondary, the quarterbacks find him and toss him the ball. May not be that important that we call the routes for him (laughter).
Q. You just talked about Toliver, especially with Jared Mitchell‘s injury lingering, how the receivers have played in camp so far?
COACH MILES: Terrance Toliver is a very smooth, gifted athlete. In my opinion, he has great ball skills and will eventually be a very, very talented receiver here. But just coming on board, understanding where he’s lining up, what is really expected from him on every play, he’s not quite there. Byrd is probably a little bit behind that because Terrance Toliver was here all summer and got some coaching from Matt Flynn, our quarterback, and may be a little ahead of Demetrius Byrd right now. But Demetrius Byrd is very talented, makes a nice catch. Probably would have scored if it hadn’t been a one‑hand touch. He has great ball skills, speed, has presence in the secondary. Again, it’s a little early for us to predict how much he’ll play or how well he’ll do. But, you know, he certainly has all the talent that you’d want.
Q. You talked last night about Kirston Pittman. That’s not a name we heard very much out of the last several years. After watching the film of the scrimmage, talk more about him. Was there anything else that stood out from the scrimmage?
COACH MILES: Well, I think our defensive ends are coming. I think there’s some real competition at the right end. I think Rahim Alem played well. I think Tremaine Johnson is playing well at the end spot. And Kirston Pittman, you know, probably had two sacks in this scrimmage legitimately. With that in mind, you know, Kirston Pittman has been ‑‑ in our first year, he had a heck of a ‑‑ started to have a heck of a spring. About two weeks in, he developed a bad ankle and was slow, didn’t play the spring game, then got healthy during the summer. We rode up to the fall, just got dinged again. Found there was a little cyst in his ankle. Having removed the cyst, he lost the entire year. He was returning again to health, getting ready. Just prior to the season, blows out an Achilles heel and we lose him for another year. You look at a guy that hasn’t played football in two years and you realize that, you know, he’d shown flashes of being a real quality defensive end, but we haven’t allowed ‑‑ or injury hasn’t allowed him to develop his skill. This is the longest stretch of time that he’s been with us and injury‑free. He’s developing, coming along really nicely. I’m happy for him. There’s a guy that, you know, you have two years taken away from you with injury, it’s something you’re going to want maybe a little bit more. It’s been pleasant. I wish him the best.
Q. (No microphone.)
COACH MILES: Whatever medical was possible, I’m sure he achieved that.
Q. You talked about the high expectations, how you enjoy being in a place with high expectations. Are you doing anything specifically to address them with the team? You’ve had high expectations since you’ve been here. Has it kind of built up to this where it seems a little more this year than the other two years?
COACH MILES: Yeah, it doesn’t seem any more or any less to me. The only reason I talk about high expectations today is because, you know, I got a room full of media. The first thing they’re going to want to ask is, Hey, you know, aren’t you going to be the national champions, the SEC champions, certainly going to win the west, aren’t you looking forward to beating this guy, that guy, this guy? The reality is, that’s way the cart before the horse. We got a long schedule of hard work, a lot to accomplish before we can talk about championships. The expectation is there. The hard work and the want is there. But you can’t win a championship till you’ve won a bunch of games. And right now we’re preparing to play our first. I understand them and enjoy them, but don’t move too fast.
Q. Have you addressed the team?
COACH MILES: I’m going to address them again today along those lines. But in our first meeting, you know, we talk about rankings. All the same things I just said today I’ve told the team. You know, understand rankings are like somebody saying you’re pretty. It doesn’t make any difference unless you’re willing to earn your position at the end of the year. And right now we are earning our position for the first game. One thing about it, in my opinion, the ability to work hard in the heat, the study of our opponents, frankly looking at Mississippi State, saying, ‘That’s a good football team,’ is easy to do. I don’t think that our guys are going to be inappropriate and look too far in advance.
Q. The Chad Jones baseball thing, as the summer has gone on, how concerned have you been about that? On a personal note, you won 22 games here in two years. I pick up one national publication and it has you in the 40s as a Division I head coach out of 119. Do you feel disrespected by that or do you even care?
COACH MILES: I was concerned about Chad Jones. I really felt like, you know, it was important to our team that we have a quality safety that could line up there and play, give us snaps and develop because, frankly, I don’t think we really recruited in the last two years the safeties that we were after. I think that he was really our first pick. So it was awful important to me. And, yes, I was concerned. Am I in some way concerned today as we talk? Yeah.
Q. Still?
COACH MILES: Still. Only because I know that in his mind things have gone on and he’s ready to play here and he’s looking forward to going to college and in my opinion play two sports. But I think the Major League Baseball has a deadline of August 15th or the first day of school. He’s not taken the first day of school. Money is an unbelievable motivator. You know, I have minimal concern. Certainly it’s not unusual that Major League Baseball might make a play at him in the next five days. But I think after those five days, I really am much less concerned now with his reporting to camp, preparing, the style of guy that he is as he looks forward to playing football. Now, as far as being ranked as a coach in this country, I could care. I don’t think anybody really knows, and I think maybe they ranked me too high, I don’t know (laughter). I can only tell you that I enjoy coaching. I enjoy being with this team, especially with this team. If they had to rank enjoyment with this team, I might rank first.
Q. You have 14 guys committed in recruiting this season. I think last year you had a lot of guys committed before the season started also. Could you talk about your strategy in recruiting, how it helps to get those guys committed early.
COACH MILES: One, I think recruiting generally nationally is moving much quicker. I think you’re finding that classes are taking shape. I think the student‑athletes don’t want the hassle of the call, don’t want the hassle of recruiting as it’s become. I think that those guys that understand where they want to be feel much more comfortable with saying, you know, I’m committed and I want to go, in this particular instance, to LSU. I also believe that our staff does just a great job, unbelievably serving group of men that are here really year‑round, summertime where everybody takes a break. It’s all based on, you know, what student‑athlete may or may not arrive for an unofficial visit in the summertime. I think our staff does a great job there. And we’ve, you know, identified the guys that we want to recruit, gone after them early enough so that we feel like we can be in this position with a quality group of commit‑ees before the season. I think you’ll find that that number will rise pretty routinely as the season goes on. I enjoy it. I think as a standard strategy, when you identify the guy that you want, you’re available to him, and he’s been on our campus enough to know all the opportunities that we have to offer, I think accepting a commitment, for a young guy committing, I think it’s a wise plan because then he knows, My scholarship’s put away, that school’s committed to me, and let’s go play high school football because that senior year is still a lot of fun for him.
Q. Does it take a load off your back?
COACH MILES: No. You’re still recruiting the same guys. Basically we’re a really strong service industry, and recruiting is sales and service. You got to make sure that you display very honestly the opportunity that you have here, and then you have to be available to them, you’ve got to communicate with them. So there’s no real load off the back; it’s just really all part of the process.
Q. Talk about opening the season on the road at Mississippi State, national television, and the challenges that that gives you, the things that perhaps you guys are already doing to prepare for that.
COACH MILES: I think, first, the schedule is really unusual. I think this two‑a‑day schedule, with the idea we’re opening on a Thursday has crowded, in my mind, maybe some of these weekends. We’ve had a need to get more accomplished through the weekend break. I think that’s the first piece that you look at. It’s a quality football team with a lot of ability. Obviously it’s the early game. I think our team enjoys playing on national television. It’s the first. There’s a lot of importance in the first. It’s also a nationally televised game. I think our guys are looking forward to it.
Q. Can you talk about Ryan Perrilloux and Jarrett Lee, what strengths they both pose. What wide receivers have kind of stepped up?
COACH MILES: Both quarterbacks have very strong arms. I think Ryan probably knows the offense probably a little bit better than Jarrett at this point, but both guys have really strong arms and are very capable quarterbacks, guys that will ‑‑ if they continue to progress, will be guys we look forward to quarterbacking our team in the future.
The wide receivers, I’ve kind of talked about ’em. You’re talking about the young guys emerging at wide receiver, right?
Q. Yes.
COACH MILES: I think the two best wide receivers on our team right now are our veterans that returned in Doucet and Brandon LaFell. Those guys, you can count on them to be in virtually every set and every formation and on the field a lot.
I think beyond that, there’s a group of veterans that deserve some playing time. R.J. Jackson I think is a guy that you’ll see in special teams, in wide receiver sets, that’s really making a push. He’s been healthy. Moved him from tailback to wide receiver and, in my opinion, is showing well. With Jared Mitchell out, Chris Mitchell improved, coming, and the newcomers at wide receiver, Terrance Toliver, Demetrius Byrd, those guys will all play, and play key roles in this fall.
Q. One name we didn’t hear from you yesterday in your summary in the scrimmage was Crutchfield. Of course, with the new kickoff rule, that position has taken on added importance. Is he sort of the frontrunner? Is he capable of giving you what you need on those kickoffs?
COACH MILES: I think we had three kickoffs in yesterday’s scrimmage. Two were handled by Colt David, and one was caught at about the eight yard line, and one was caught at two deep in the end zone. Josh Jasper kicked the other one, and his was five deep. Crutchfield has a quad injury, was not allowed to practice in yesterday’s scrimmage. So as that comes, he will eventually, you know, step in there and continue to compete. But, you know, we’re going to have a guy that has a strong leg back in there that will hit it, whether it’s Crutchfield or Jasper or Colt David for that matter.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, coach.
COACH MILES: Thanks, guys, ladies.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR BO PELINI QUOTES
Opening statement…
“We just finished the first week of camp and we feel really good about where we are. It is a very mature group. We are way ahead of where we were at this point during my first two years. We feel good about our front line guys. We are in the process of developing depth in some areas. We have made a lot of progress. When I say that we have a mature group, I mean that I feel good about our guys and their mindset. They know that it is not about where we are heading but the process of getting there. They understand what it takes to be successful and what it takes to be great. We have high expectations.”
“We have tremendous senior leadership and character. Everything is heading in the right direction. However, we are not a finished product by any means. We understand that there is a lot of work to be done between now and the first game. That is all we are concerned with right now, whether it is the next meeting or next practice we are just keeping our focus on the channel it needs to be. I love this group of guys. Most of the defensive staff has been together for three years and we are all on the same page. Our guys have been hearing the same things and they hear it over and over, which is a key in coaching.”
On Kirston Pittman returning after dealing with injuries the past two seasons…
“He has been through a lot. I think what happens to young men in that situation is that it makes getting back to football very important to them. It makes them hungrier. He has always had talent, but he has just been through some tough times as of late. He is headed in the right direction. He has made a lot of strides this week. He is showing good technique and effort. He is having fun and he likes where he is. He sees himself getting better on a daily basis. He sees light at the end of the tunnel and I don’t think that was the case during the last couple of years. I am excited about Kirston. I think he is going to be a tremendous force for our defense this year.”
On the defense ends…
“Rahim Alem and Tremaine Johnson are both playing very well. They are consensus and playing with good technique. That is what happens when guys like Ryan Willis and Chase Pittman graduate, the other guys find themselves thrust in a new role. When they know they are going to be counted on from a down-to-down basis. Some guys respond to it and some guys don’t. Fortunately up to this point our guys have responded. They have stepped up because they see a tremendous opportunity in front of them. If they continue along this path then I feel really good about the end position. Pep Livingston is little younger and a little greener but he has a lot of talent and is making strides.”
On how Al Woods is developing…
“I like where Al is right now. In the last three practices of the spring I saw the light starting to come on. I see his confidence growing by the day. He has a tremendous amount of talent and a great attitude. But let’s face it, he is not trying to break in the lineup for just anybody. We feel good about our guys and I think Al will be a big part of the mix there. Where that goes, I am not sure how much playing time that means. We are hoping he plays significant minutes. I see that happening for him, but it is really up to Al. It is how he continues on along this path and continues to get better on a day-to-day basis. We will see how that will progress as the year goes on.”
On how far ahead the team is at this point as opposed to the last two years…
“Scheme wise, we are way ahead of where we were as far of knowledge of what we are doing and where we are headed. We have a lot more options. We have really progressed scheme wise because our guys are able to handle a lot more now. In my opinion, it is not really what you do, but how you do it. Every year is a different year. Just because we had success the past two years doesn’t mean anything for this year’s group. Our guys understand that. Our guys also understand there is not a day where, as a football player, you don’t get a little better or a little worse. Our focus is on continuing to get better. No matter what level you are performing at, there is always that next level you haven’t achieved yet. Unless you realize that as a football player or a group, then eventually you will take a step back. We are not looking to take a step back. We are always looking to take that next step forward and improving as a group.”
On how fast the defense is this year…
“First of all, it is not about how fast the defense is. The first thing we talk about is playing with tremendous effort. In order to play with tremendous effort, you have to know what you are doing. There has to be no indecision. What our guys would run in the 40 compared to other groups, I have no idea. I don’t know if we would time as fast as other groups, but I know one thing ? our guys play faster. They play hard, decisive and with an attitude. I think those are the keys to a great defense. It is not as much what you do, but how you do it and how you get there. I believe that is what separates us from everybody else and I believe the players feel the same way.”
On how successful Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson will be at the next level…
“I think they will have tremendous success at the next level. The sky is the limit for them. They are not only talented individuals but they are high character guys with tremendous maturity. They come out to work every single day. They want to improve everyday. They understand what it takes to be the best. That is what they want to be. They both want to be the best. They are great guys to have as leaders on defense.”
On Chad Jones…
He is a very gifted individual. He is an all-around athlete. He has tremendous ball skills. He can play the ball well. He judges the ball well. He has great hands and tremendous range. All that being said he still has a long way to go. It is a different game. We are in the third year of this defense, so there is a little bit more for him to learn. He is competing against guys who have been in the system for a while. So he is behind the eight ball a little, but we will find some spots where he is going to help us at. I could say that about all the freshmen. I feel that we have hit on a lot of tremendous football players. They are very gifted individuals. They are great kids who come in with a tremendous attitude and want to work hard. They want to fit in and accept the role that we put them in. They understand that there is nothing here that is given to them; they have to earn what they get. There is a lot of competition going on but with great attitude and in a team atmosphere.”
On Joseph Barksdale moving to the offensive line…
“We had Joe in the spring and our job is not only to put a good football team on the field but to do what is best for the kids. Going through the spring, I knew he could be a tremendous defensive tackle. I think as a coaching staff we all came together and said he could be a good defensive tackle, but he could be an extraordinary offensive lineman. For our future and his future, we thought it was in the best interest for us and him. We sat him down and talked to him about it. We weren’t going to thrust him in that role without talking to him. We told him this is our opinion and we said the decision is yours and he chose to go to the offensive side of the ball. I think he figured the opportunity would be a little quicker on the offensive side then the defensive side.”
COMMENTS FROM LSU OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR GARY CROWTON AT LSU MEDIA DAY
Opening Statement…
“Thanks, it’s nice to be here. I’m excited to get the season started. We have been right on schedule with the two-a-days and camp. The guys are working hard to get better.”
On Bill Walsh…
“Bill Walsh had a great influence on offensive football both in NFL and college. He’s one of those guys that is a great teacher and had a good way of teaching. I had a chance when I was young to attend the 49Ners camp to watch him and learn from him. He had a real influence on things I have done as a coach. He will certainly be missed.”
On the starting running backs…
“You always want to go with the hot hands in games you always want a touchdown. But, what we are going to do is let them compete and battle to find a place for as many players who will help us win through the season. Seasons are longer than they use to be playing 12 games, playing bowl games and championship games. With that in mind you have to have a lot of guys ready especially in a game so physical. We will have a starter and then we will play more backs. That’s what I feel we need to do to win.”
On Trindon Holliday…
“Trindon is so explosive. He has the ability to just out run anyone. He can go from north to south to east and west and that’s what we will use him as. He’s not the tallest kid in the world but he’s one of the fastest so we are going to try and use him to create space. A lot of time it’s a running game. It’s hard for us to run rotates because it’s hard to see him. But, around the edges is where he is seen the most. I’ve had the experience of using a guy like Trindon he’s small but makes big plays. He can make a touchdown at anytime as long as we get him in the space. He’s going to get a lot of touches, anywhere from five to ten touches a game. Good things will happen in those touches. Hopefully we can keep him healthy enough to use that speed always.”
On coaching Matt Flynn…
“Matt has been such a pleasure to coach. He’s intelligent and has a great work ethic. He has leadership quality and is easy to coach. It makes it really nice for a coach. When I came in as a new guy and coming into a program that has had a lot of success with the coordinator before me, he accepted me very well and listened to me. He worked with me and really led the young guys in the right direction. I’ve been very pleased with him. He was a one game starter in that Miami game and didn’t get a lot of starts after. I’ve watched him on films from last year and I’ve watch him on film now. I’ve seen a lot of improvement and I think good things are going to happen.”
On what it takes to be a hot hand…
“There are a couple of things that happen in a hot hand. Number one they have to be prepared to play, they know what they are doing and they understand defensives. They must understand how they are attacking them. Secondly they must be healthy, because you want them to be able to use their talent, their strength and speed. Sometimes we just get guys that get a good feel for the game and their vision is good and that day good things happen. We recognize that we need to get them going too. You can’t just bring a guy in and give it to him once and expect him to be hot hands. You have to work those backs and make them stronger. Make sure they’ve had enough reps in practice so they will get their hot hands.”
On leaving Louisiana Tech…
“Well my experience at Louisiana Tech really helped me with the people in the South. I really enjoyed the southern hospitality and the pride in the football. The climate was hard to get use to but the longer I was in Louisiana the more I liked it. The experience from Louisiana Tech really made me come back. When it comes to big time football there is no question that LSU is big time football. So having the opportunity to come back and work with Les Miles is very exciting.
On the game against Louisiana Tech…
“The game will be pretty interesting. There are no players that I coached still playing. There are some coaches still on staff. It will be a nice reunion to see them and their families. But, believe me I just want to win that game and more forward.”
On losing key players…
“Experience always helps. When you lose two receivers that are strong players you are losing a lot. We have Early Doucet who was part of that trio last year and can be a leader. We have Brandon LaFell who has played and prepared well. So those two guys right now are the leaders in receiving. With those two guys and the power behind them they will lead the way. They know how hard they need to play every play. So they will lead the young players and get on the same page so hopefully our passing game will be has proficient as it need s to be to win.”
On the development of the quarterbacks…
“We are spending a lot of time talking about defense. It’s been very interesting. We have young quarterbacks that we have to teach the plays to. So we talk to the young guys about the plays and talk with Matt about the defense. We go in and talk about recognizing a coverage and the strengths and weakness of the coverage. So the more Matt knows those things the quicker he can make a decision and get the ball out on time. Matt is very receptive and understanding. I think he likes that kind of rhythm and those have been fun conversations and I’m really enjoying coaching him.”
On Flynn as quarterback…
“Matt Flynn is very athletic. We want to use his strength. He’s not a running back he’s a quarterback. He will run the ball and run the option a little bit. But, we don’t want to beat him up either so we will pick our times when to do those plays. We will try and keep him as healthy as possible. If he does run the ball and has an open field I want him to get as much as he can then get down. That’s what I’ve been preaching to him. This season you might see him run a little more. We just have to see how the team will develop. He has strength but we will try and protect him.”
LSU PLAYER QUOTES FROM LSU MEDIA DAY
Matt Flynn, Quarterback
On living up to the expectations of being the starting quarterback on the # 2 ranked team in preseason …
“I’ve been here for five years, and I feel like every year there are expectations, and I think every year expectations grow. So, you learn to deal with that and you learn how to play with it. You just can’t focus on what people are saying. We as a team have to get together and come up with goals for ourselves.
“We know there are expectations, but we have expectations for ourselves. You just have to look past it, take it one day at a time, one game at a time. We think we have a special team this year, and we can do something very good and very special. If we keep working and stick together, we can accomplish it.”
On his relationship with new offensive coordinator Gary Crowton …
“Me and coach Crowton have developed a very close relationship. We’ve worked a lot together studying film. Just me and him sitting down and going over plays and reading defenses. He’s taught me a lot about just the game in general, not just specific plays. We are getting on the same page and building some chemistry.
“I know what he’s going to want before the play even starts. It’s good that that’s going to happen, that me and him can be on the same page. I think it’s going to help the offense in general.”
On Brandon LaFell, who he feels is the wide receiver who made the most improvements over the summer …
”At the end of spring, over the summer and through camp, he’s come out. I’m telling you, he’s going to be very good receiver. He’s going to help this team, and he’s going to be one of the key points of this offense.”
On Early Doucet …
”I feel very confident with Early Doucet. It’s obvious, if I need a big play or a big first down, I’m going to look to him first. There’s no doubt about that. He’s proven throughout the years that he can make big plays. I feel fortunate that I have him out there. It makes my job a little bit easier.”
Jacob Hester, Running Back
On the experience the current running backs have …
“Charles (Scott) and Keiland (Williams) getting that experience last year was huge for us. We are coming in and we realize that we don’t have to slow things down really. Last year, we had three freshmen in, so we had to slow things down during camp and really teach them the plays. This year, we can watch film and not have to slow it down to teach them the basic things.
“They know just as much as I do, or Shawn (Jordan) does, guys that have been here four and five years. It’s really helped us just hit things on the run and not have to worry about ?is he picking it up?’ because he already knows it. We can concentrate on the game part of it, and not just the plays.”
On whether or not some of the tailbacks will see time at fullback …
“Whoever has the hot hand will be out there. We’ve got four or five pretty good guys, so whoever is in there, we are going to have a good tailback or fullback. That’s a good problem to have.”
On Gary Crowton …
“When he was the coach at Louisiana Tech, I was the biggest Tim Rattay (former Tech QB) fan in the world. When I heard he was coming, I knew he was going to open up the passing game for the running backs. He has some plays for the running backs that we aren’t used to, and that other teams aren’t going to be able to just focus on the receivers or the running game. He brings a whole new dimension to the game compared to the pro offense we ran last year.”
On how his marriage has changed his mentality towards the game …
“I think it has actually helped me grow up in everything I do. Everyday life, football, school, everything. I’m a man now. I’m on my own. My parents aren’t there to help me. It’s my thing now, so I think it’s helped me to grow up in everything I do.
Early Doucet, Wide Receiver
On Matt Flynn …
“He’s been here five years, and he’s just a leader. He knows how to handle the situation. He’s going to be ready to make plays for us.”
On his expectations for his senior year …
“We definitely want to set our goals high, but that’s only goals. We have to continue to work hard each day in practice to accomplish those goals. As a whole unit, we set our goals high, but at the same time, we have to stay focused and humble about the whole thing and continue to work hard and get better everyday.”
Running Back Keiland Williams
On his performance last year vs. this year…
“When you are on this level you set high expectations of yourself. Last year, I came in a little late and I didn’t really have a feel for the offense, or more so the passing game, which is very important at this level. This year, I am getting a feel for it and got to actually experience camp this year so, I feel like I am a couple of steps ahead of where I was last year at this time”
On how he feels he measures up to the other running backs…
“I don’t come out every day and tell myself that I’m ahead of this guy or that guy. I know every day is a work day, and you have to come out and prove yourself every day.”
On how LSU is prepared for this season, knowing there aren’t any warm up games…
“The coaches have done a great job keeping us focused and letting us know that we play stiff competition early. The coaches are doing a great job letting us know its going to be a long season, we have to stay focused, and we can’t sleep on anyone.”
Defensive Tackle Glenn Dorsey
On his leadership position within the team …
“Young guys coming in are going to be looking to the seniors to show them how to do things. I think they look up to us and I try to lead by example because I’m not a really vocal guy.”
On his experience over the past 4 years …
“It has been a great experience. It’s rolled by. I feel like I just got here. I’m just enjoying it every day and taking it one day at a time. This has been the best time of my life.”
On his decision to come back to school and what went into that decision …
“I just had to sit back and think. I had to make the right decision for me, my family, and my team. I feel like I did that, and I am 100% behind it (my decision). I’m just ready to play this year.”
Linebacker Darry Beckwith
On his position as a role model …
“When you go places, you watch how you carry yourself, how you address people, and how you treat people. I think if people see you treating other people well, and you’re setting a great example then they will want to follow.”
On his thoughts going into the Mississippi State game …
“I think it’s going to be a great atmosphere opening on Thursday night and being on national TV. I know we (the team) are excited. Usually, during camp, you don’t have that much to look forward to, but after this week we start preparing for Mississippi State. It’s just right around the corner and we are ready for it.”
On expectations of the defense for the season …
“We are expecting great things from the defense. We are working hard right now getting the kinks out, and seeing improvement every day. If everyone continues to stay focused, good things should happen.”