Coach & Player Quotes from Media Day

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma coaches and players met with the press corps Friday morning at the annual football media day in Norman. The Sooners opened preseason practice on Thursday.

Head Coach Bob Stoops
"We're really excited about the upcoming season. Watching the players yesterday in the conditioning test and a two hour practice, I was really impressed overall with the speed and ability of the skilled guys. Overall the number of them, when you insert this first semester class, it's really a talented group of guys to compliment the group that is already here.

"It gives us a lot of depth just looking at them in one day. It gives you a lot of confidence to see that you have a lot to work with. We're really excited about that as coaches, we really believe we do our job and these guys progress through the year.

"Our expectations are what they have always been and that is to pursue and compete for a Big 12 championship and if things go right we can find our way and earn our way to a national championship. That's what our sights are always on."

On Graduating Seniors:
"I have realized we're not the only team in the Big 12 or the country that have had players move on. That's natural, it happens all the time. We've also never had to answer this many questions before going into the season. Probably our youngest and most inexperienced team and least talented team in the last five years was our 2000 national championship team. I look back and remember that we had only had one year with those guys so the experience in our system was not there very long.

"I remember walking out starting early in the year with Derrick Strait a redshirt freshman that had not played at all. Michael Thompson who played very little the year before so he was basically a first year starter starting at the other corner and so on and so on. We struggled early in the year and hit our stride about mid-year and continued to improve as we went through the year.

"I only say that because I believe that is what this team needs to do. Where ever we start we will have to mature gain experience and improve and make strides as we go and if we do, I have confidence that this is going to be a really good team. We have a lot of work to do and that's natural and that's what two-a-days are for. We're looking forward to getting on the field and working with these guys."

On QB Situation:
"There are three very talented guys Grady, Bomar and Thompson. They all have skill ability. They are all guys who work hard and they have the respect of their teammates. They are all bright guys and you put that all together and you have a group of great of quarterbacks.

"It's funny how since spring practice everybody in the news media has had their opinions that's there a consensus that their an order, that's not the case. We came out of spring believing that they each had a scrimmage or two that they were good at and one or two that they made some mistakes at. Each of them did that and in our mind there was not a separation going into yesterday's practice. I feel it's unfortunate that so many of you in the media have ranked them and have put them in place so that players have to hear that the entire summer, it's really not fair.

"It's obvious that Tommy missed practice yesterday, he's working on a class in intersession, so that will be a factor, how much? We'll have to wait and see. Tommy is going to work to be a meetings. He was at meetings yesterday and he will work to try and make his way onto the field, according to his schedule. The most important thing is class work and then what he can pick up from there. We're going to do our best to keep him up to speed and keep him in the competition."

On Adrian Peterson:
"He has had an incredible summer, looking at him in his conditioning tests, he is bigger, stronger and faster. Coach Schmidt can't quit talking about what a leader and what a worker he is in the weight room and in their conditioning exercises. He has had a huge summer and really couldn't wait to get on the field. With all that he has had coming at him, I appreciate him and he is ready for another excellent year."

On the Secondary:
"We have a very talented group. I reminded everyone a year ago we started a great number of games with Eric Bassey and Chijioke Onyenegecha at the corners. In fact they started and played the entire Texas game. Those guys do have experience. Marcus Walker started and played in four games.

"At the safety position, Darien Williams had a great spring. Lewis Baker and Jason Carter really had a great spring and a strong summer. There's an influx of young guys that all looked really good. Watching them in one practice and watching them test, they are as big and strong and fast and talented as any group of DBs that I have been around. We're going to get those guys ready to play and in the end I believe that is going to be a strong group for us.

On Team Chemistry:
"I think it's the way you prepare and develop through this period of time. Everyone seems to just want to get to the season as if this time does not matter a whole lot. To us it's a big part of the year and how you develop through this period of time and how you go into the first game. This is a long period of time, 29 practices is two spring balls. That's where we will find out what kind of attitude we have and what kind of work ethic we have."

On Choosing a Quarterback:
"We're very aware of what they all can do, fortunately they all can do the same thing. They are all athletic they all can run, so we don't see much difference in what they can do. There is a little bit of difference in speed here and there, but not significant in that you can't run a lot of the same plays with them.

"To me what is more important is what they do on the field, making the right decisions and making the right plays, checking into the right plays and avoiding the ones that really hurt you. They need more time out there to do that. We're not going to start running the triple option and running our quarterbacks 20 times a game, that's not going to happen. We have been fairly successful not doing that.

"Occasionally with these guys because they can run and have the ability to move better than Jason (White) and Nate (Hybl) have and even Josh (Heupel), that running will be a little bit more of our package but not a significant amount."

On the O-line:
"We need more time out there. I have a feeling that there is a lot of maturity there with five seniors that have played a lot and have been together for a long time to hopefully start and set the attitude. We have an influx of young guys that have great range in size that we hope will come and help us play at the level that were used to."

On WRs:
"Travis Wilson led our team in touchdown receptions a year ago, he is a big strong receiver with great speed. Jejuan Rankins started two years ago in almost every game, so he has a lot of experience out there. We're going to need some young guys to step up, who they are we'll see.

"The young ones we just brought in are really impressive. Malcolm Kelly really stood out yesterday. Just in one practice he has big size and range but there will be other ones as well. We have some guys that have been here as well, that we'll see how they compete through this period of time. I feel that there is talent there and I don't think we'll be short on finding guy to get the ball to."

On Dusty Dvoracek:
"Dusty has worked hard. Talking to our trainers, visiting with him and talking to coach Schmidt, he has done most of his lifts throughout the summer. He has trained really hard and looks great. The doctors feel he is a few weeks ahead of schedule. It will be a lot to hold him back. I know how he is and he wants to be out there. He ran great yesterday and physically he is chomping at the bit to get out there.

"We'll have to restrain him from doing too much to early. As far as any off the field issues he has been excellent in the classroom as usual. He has been a leader around the team and he continues to go through some steps and guidelines that we require and that the university requires. He has lived up to all of them and we expect him to continue to do that."

Running Back Adrian Peterson
On the summer:
"The summer went pretty well. I came in with a different attitude after my shoulder injury. I have been working hard to get my shoulder back together - basically just working hard to prepare for the season. Summer went really well and now I'm just looking forward to the fall."

On his attitude change:
"With my shoulder being injured it made me realize a lot of things. I have had a more positive attitude going into workouts and I don't take things for granted. I have worked even harder this summer to get my body ready to play and help prevent injuries like this from happening again."

On being a leader:
"I am starting to realize that a lot of guys look up to me. Older guys, and even younger guys, are asking me questions and ask me about how to handle situations. I'm young but that leadership role has been put on me so I need to live up to it."

On new team:
"I am just going to go out there and run the ball hard and play hard like I have always done. We have a lot of great young guys that are coming up that will fill holes that were left open from guys that graduated."

On improving:
"I am looking forward to improving my catching ability and running with ball. I need to improve on getting my shoulders lower and learning to take the impacts of hits better. I basically want to improve my all-around game and bring it all together."

Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables
On the defensive line:
"We feel like the front seven is the strength of our defense. We lost two very, very good defensive ends in Dan Cody and Jonathan Jackson -- probably two of the smartest players that have ever played for us. But, you know, we like the talent we have to work with.

"Obviously Dusty gives us the strength in that front four that we need and we're hoping that by the first game or so that he is back to full strength, but we're encouraged by where he's at right now and we're assuming that other guys that have played in the past, like Carl Pendleton and Remi Ayodele, are improved players with another year of experience.

"We feel good about some of the guys that maybe aren't household names -- guys like Calvin Thibodeaux, coming off his knee injury, who's playing as good as he's played at any other time prior to his injury and who has really rehabbed strongly; C.J. Ah You, another player who is big, strong and explosive and just needs to play and learn our system. John Williams probably had the best summer of all of our ends. He's not a household name, but a guy that we feel very good about. (Williams) is a very strong athletic kid who plays hard and we're counting on him and feel like we have the depth we need.

On the linebackers:
"We like our linebacks -- the four of them. They're strong, they're explosive, they're athletic and they all have a fairly good understanding of the defense. A guy like Zach Latimer hasn't played, but has been in our program for three years and has been at DE and then LB. But we feel like he's got the range and the mindset for it and there just needs to be an opportunity to play and gain experience.

"We feel like our two outside guys Rufus Alexander and Clint Ingram -- are athletic and explosive and have the play-making ability as good as anybody in the conference. Then Demario Pleasant is a wild card. He can play all three positions. There's going to have to be some young guys that contribute.

"Certain guys that we feel like will have an opportunity to do that -- Demarcus Granger inside, maybe Brian Simmons inside as well, and at linebacker all three of the freshmen are going to have an opportunity to contribute. If day one is any indicator, you know that's definitely going to happen and they'll push for playing time right away.

On Clint Ingram:
"Having him on the field is a strength. He's got more explosion and every bit as much range as anybody else is going to be in that spot. Last year, at times, his inexperience probably hurt him in that particular spot in certain situations.

"Maybe it wasn't as good as you wanted it to be or with the consistency you'd like him to have. But right now that's not a concern at all based on where he was in spring. He's one of our best playmakers on defense. He's just got a live, active body and he's all over the field making plays.

Co-Defensive Coordinator Bobby Jack Wright
On the secondary:
In all honesty, a lot has been said, written, whatever, spoken about the fact that we have so many holes to fill back there with losing three starters last year and the guys coming in. But I feel good about that nucleus coming back. I think we've got three really good corners and anytime any one team can have three good corners, I think you're at a real bonus.

"With that, I'm talking about Marcus Walker, who's coming back off of shoulder surgery -- he's ready to go, he's full speed, jumped in there yesterday and hasn't missed a beat -- Eric Bassey and Chijioke (Onyenegecha). I know this that if those three were somewhere else, we'd be glad to have them. All three of those guys are potential starters. The safety position, as Brent said, is pretty much the way we were in the spring.

"We finished up with Lewis (Baker) and Jason Carter fighting in the strong safety and Darien Williams and Tony Cade at free safety. So I feel good about those guys and where they are right now. Again, they jumped in yesterday, ready to go and hadn't missed a beat since spring. Now they don't have a lot of game time experience, OK. Well, you know that happens. You graduate players and people go on and new guys come in.

"So those guys have been in our system, they understand the defense, they understand our program, they know how to compete and they know how to play at the level that we want them to play, so I'm not worried about that. I feel good about those guys. The incoming guys, if you all were there yesterday, that freshman group -- those four or five guys that walked in here yesterday -- they are about as talented as anybody.

"They maybe the most talented group of secondary that we've brought in since we've been here. Those guys are going to get blown in, and if you were at practice yesterday, you saw they took reps yesterday immediately. Reggie Smith, Nic Harris, Keenan Clayton, Brian Jackson and Allen Patrick -- those are five talented guys that have great ability.

On Allen Patrick:
"He's a smart guy. He's a junior college guy that's been around. He understands football, he understands secondary play and is extremely talented. He's got a little bit of learning to catch up on, but he will. It won't take him long.

On D.J. Wolfe's transition:
"He showed that he's got some true natural talent. He's got a feel for that position. He makes play out there that you would think, well this guy hasn't been there long enough to make those plays.' But he's got some natural instincts about him. He's a tough kid, he's smart, he's aggressive, he wants to play, he wants to do good and he has a lot of pride in what he does.

Offensive Coordinator Chuck Long
On Adrian Peterson:
“After establishing a running game, we would like to work some play action off of that and those two things go hand in hand. When you have a back like Adrian (Peterson), and the other backs we have as well, you'd like to work with play action and take some picture shots down the field. From there we'd like to get him more involved in our passing game and get the ball to him a little more. He needs a lot of work in that department as far as with his hands.”

On the quarterbacks:
“We have confidence in every quarterback that we have. We feel like we have a great situation and it sometimes get to the point where you have two good ones and play two good ones. That is something that Coach Stoops and I will discuss at a later time if that's the case.”

On the tight ends:
“We feel like that is one of our most veteran positions on the offense. Coming out of spring we felt good about all three of them. James Moses had a good spring, Joe Jon (Finley) and Willie (Roberts). One of our projects right now is to find that third wide receiver in our three wide receiver set. To take some pressure off of that, it's important that we tie the tight ends in a lot more than we did in the past. They've done a good job of taking pressure off of trying to find that third wide out right now. We're going to use them a lot more.”

On the wide receiver position:
“Everybody wants to talk about the quarterback position, but the wide receiver position is the one that's most competitive right now. It's going to be a fight. Now we're trying to find a third one and a fourth one, but that's going to be something that will take the entire camp to figure that out. Don't be surprised if we play one or two freshmen as wide receivers to get some game experience. We'll start making decisions once we get into the Big 12 season.”

Offensive Line Coach Kevin Wilson
On the offensive line:
I've got five seniors in this crowd. I've got four right now that are starting and are going to play significant if they don't all start. They've all played in big games and they have all played for two, three and going down to four years. Chris Bush has started games since a freshman, Kelvin Chaisson has over 30 starts and Davin Joseph is our best player. I have six first-year guys that are extremely talented and I have five vets and in between I have Messner, Akim and J.D. Quinn so it's a solid group.”

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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