2010 OU Football Media Day Quotes

Head Coach Bob Stoops

Opening statement:
"I'm really excited about the prospects of this team. Maybe we don't have the Heisman Trophy guys coming back or the biggest names in the world, but I really believe there are the makings of some really special players on this team that could be those guys. That's what we've been used to over the years as certain guys leave and guys are developing into the special players we need them to be to hopefully compete for championships.

"I think with the unexpected experience we gained a year ago due to so many injuries to seniors, I really believe this team is further along than it would have been without those injuries. It's not what you want, we dealt with it the best we could. Sometimes we dealt with it well, other times we didn't deal with it as well as we needed to with some of the losses.

"This team coming up has had a great attitude through the winter and spring and how they've worked, how they've prepared and how they've embraced everything we're doing. Showing up yesterday with our conditioning tests, they really did well. I was excited to see the way most of them ran, a couple of guys need to do some work but for the most part the guys we were counting on and depending on came out for our first practice and did well. Everybody we were expecting to come did. All 29 guys that we signed were eligible and ready to go. All players coming back were here and did well with the conditioning test and did everything we expected them to do."

On the freshmen:
"I'm really excited about them. We're careful in that with the conditioning test we only give them half of it and we only actually let the guys who were here the entire summer run due to safety reasons. We want to make sure we have a chance to work with them and don't have any accidents while working on that test. There was a lot of great speed. Looking at their testing numbers, they're really impressive for young guys. I'm not too much on talking a bunch about an individual or guy until they've done it, but watching them in a day and listening to the older players talk about them, this is one of our best recruiting classes. Then you add the fact of not only the quality but the number with 29 of them, I think it really has a chance to be a special group."

On Landry Jones' maturation process:
"We've already seen it. He is a natural leader and it's hard to be that guy when you're not the starting quarterback. Once he was last year and as the season went, he was performing better and felt more comfortable. He started being a leader towards the end of the year on the field and definitely took that over in the winter and spring with the way he's worked with everybody offensively. He's been a strong leader that way and he's a great worker. It's hard to be a leader when you're not the best worker and he's one of our best workers. We just expect him when he gets on the field to continue to improve technique wise and making the proper decisions. Coach (Josh) Heupel does a great job fundamentally with our guys and I'm sure he'll continue to progress that way."

On Blake Bell:
"Very impressive. Blake is a very big, strong athlete and a very bright guy. When you visit with him he catches on quickly. More importantly in the locker room you can tell the players like working with him because he's one of the guys. He has all the personality traits to really be an exceptional player. Looking at him running, physically he's definitely ahead as a freshman to about anyone we've had come in who is that big and strong already."

On DeMarco Murray expecting a big year:
"He should be. DeMarco, in this great program, has a chance to be in the top eight in rushing and all purpose yards. That says a lot here at Oklahoma. He's a great talent and he's had a great year leading up to the winter and spring. Looking at him run yesterday he's in great shape. We are counting on him to have a big year. He has great experience so hopefully we can give him the opportunity of a few more snaps, a few more carries and even a few more touches out of the backfield for those big plays."

On Kenny Stills:
"He's a competitive guy. I saw that in the spring where he doesn't look at himself as a freshman. The fact that he was here through the spring will help him and he'll definitely play. I think he has chance to make an impact."

On the kicking situation:
"Unfortunately I thought a year ago Tress Way was overlooked a little bit by everybody. He averaged 60 some yards against Oklahoma State at the end of the year and it didn't count. Everybody votes for Big 12 and he led the league in punting. I don't know that he got credit for it. Tress has a huge leg and he will only be better this year refining technique. We did lead the league in punting and punt returns a year ago. Everybody talks about our special teams and they get over looked. As far as the inconsistent part a year ago, it was field goals. Those guys we're counting on have worked hard. There will be great competition and daily competition to see who's going to be the most consistent and accurate. Just yesterday they looked good in one day, but we'll see how that goes."

On the non-conference schedule:
"It's exciting. It's definitely challenging. There's no getting around it. Utah State to start off with and Florida State with the new staff and great quarterback coming back will be a major challenge. You have Air Force who's coming off a huge year and a great bowl game with a lot of people back as well, and then you go to Cincinnati. It's tough. It's all fine and good as long as you win and don't get your quarterback hurt. Otherwise you shouldn't have done it."

Offensive Coordinator Kevin Wilson

On creating more versatile players in the preseason:
"That's the jist of the preseason, to find our identity and to find our playmakers. We try to address with different position groups that they understand that the better they play, the more multiple they are, the more difficult we are to defend."

On becoming more balanced:
"To me, the key to balance is can you run it? In some places, you may be in a situation where you don't have the skill level or the quarterback to be able to throw the ball. If we have a commitment to run the ball, we get our running game going. We actually throw it better when we get it running."

On the offensive line competition this year:
"It's more competitive. Maybe because the differential between player one and player twelve isn't that great. Or maybe because last year's player one, Trent (Williams), was unbelievably talented to be drafted as high as he was. He was uniquely skilled and talented. Maybe the competition is greater because a couple of ones aren't phenomenally overloaded."

On the receivers:
"You've got a lot of guys returning, everybody except one receiver and all those guys have played. You have a very nice freshman class to complement them. You saw Kenny Stills complement them in the spring. We'll see some other guys, like Joe Powell, and some other guys that will be pushing in the two deep. So again, maybe like the offensive line, guys like Ryan Broyles, who's special and can makes some plays, maybe some of our ones aren't far enough away from the twos. Maybe those twos are pretty good. Competition is greater."

On Landry Jones meeting expectations set by past quarterbacks:
"Those guys (Sam Bradford and Jason White) had some great players around them. Jason's senior year he's handing off to Adrian (Peterson). Before that, the 2003 team was lights out with their receivers. Those guys were complemented with great running backs and great receivers. Last year, I thought Landry did really well. There are some stats that look pretty good, some stats you're concerned about. Ultimately, if that core around him is playing at a higher level, he gets the chance to be really solid. The quarterback gets all the glory and credit when everyone else is good, but they stink when all those guys aren't good. I think he's pretty good. I don't think he's at the level of those other two, because those are two Heisman winners."

On Landry Jones' mindset and working with Josh Heupel:
"He (Jones) has a great role model. Not that Josh is trying to make him like him. I think it's just his upbringing and his nature, the way God made him but also a strong credit to Josh. He's the guy doing the one-on-one with him. Looking him in the eyes and giving him that sense. I think Josh has really worked hard without trying to make him become phony but continue to show him and express to him some things you can do to maybe enhance his role as a leader. Not so much a "win one for the Gipper" speech, but there's a way you act that everyone knows "this guy's got it." I know Coach Heupel works on that and I'm sure Landry works on that. There's a lot of things a quarterback does besides throwing the ball that makes him pretty good."

On what he expects out of this year's offense:
"The key to winning football is to first take care of the football. What we're going to try and do is be a more disciplined team that can rush it. We can have that balance that we talked about because we can rush it. Be a team that takes care of the ball and be a team that gets it in the endzone."

Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables

On Adrian Taylor:
"I think he is a fabulous person and a great leader for this football team. He loves this program, is a very selfless individual and he's extremely tough. He and Gerald (McCoy) last year were the backbone of our defense. We've been known for having quite a bit of depth across our front four and keeping guys fresh and rotating throughout the years, last year was an exception to that rule. We kept what we felt like was our best 11 on the field. To ask those guys to play the amount of snaps they did and Adrian (Taylor) playing the amount of snaps he did at 300 lbs. and playing 75 or 80 snaps was quite a tribute to his toughness and his durability. Obviously you hate that to happen to anybody, his injury. He's fought like tooth and nail just like he did for as a player in his rehab. "

On the linebackers:
"I really like our depth, depth not just in numbers, but depth in players and in our trust in their knowledge and ability. That's guys that have been on campus and freshmen that have come in as well. A guy that really stood out yesterday was Corey Nelson. Day one exceeded my expectations from his knowledge and the way he plays.

"Travis Lewis is the heart and soul of our group. He sets the tempo. I love his attitude. He is very mature, comes with that right approach every day, great leader, helps the young guys, very tough and is an emotional player.

"Austin Box is guy that has been for a good long while. We had each guy give his story to each other in our meeting and I forgot all the injuries Austin's had, so I'm knocking on wood for him. He's had a bunch of knicks since he's been here, but been healthy for a good while. He came back in terrific shape and tested extremely well. He is extremely confident with what he is doing on the field.

"Ronnell (Lewis), believe it or not is stronger than he's ever been. He's just got that country strength to him. Joseph Ibiloye and Tony Jefferson in our nickel package, I really like our overall group. Tom Wort looked a lot sharper yesterday than he did at the end of the spring, just in his technique and fundamentals. Jaydan Bird looks really good and quicker."

On the progress of Ronnell Lewis:
"We're going to look at ways to get him on the field and put him in a play making position. I think it's evident he knows what he's doing and he's confident in what he's doing. Like the kickoff, he's good at that. I told the freshmen, they are in for a treat. He's the most violent hitter I've been around. I haven't been all over the place, but I've been here and we've had some good players and he's as violent as they come. He loves to play and he loves to be coached. He's very a very hungry and humble young guy who has respect for the game and the process. We'll find ways to get him on the field and in a play making position."

On the defensive line depth:
"We like those guys. They played really well in the spring. We really saw that group make more improvement than any group on our defense. Stacy McGee, Casey Walker and Jamarkus McFarland were the three main guys we saw make huge improvement. Really liked how they played and how they came back. We felt that way when we signed them and who really looked well mentally as he did physically was freshman Daniel Noble. He's 290 lbs., moves really well and is reminiscent of Dusty Dvoracek. A smart young guy who gets it in regards to football. He more than held his own yesterday and runs really well."

On the cornerbacks:
"Jamell Fleming is probably as talented as anyone we have on the defensive side of the ball. With his ability to run, jump and change direction, he's a very explosive athlete. He's been in the program and for us we felt he played really well in the spring, made consistent improvement and looked good yesterday. He plays with confidence, he's very sure of himself on the field because he's been here now and this is his fourth year.

"Demontre Hurst is a young guy who played last year if for any other reason was his confidence and love to compete. He's a very competitive young guy and did not get overwhelmed. He thinks football is just football. Lancaster against West Mesquite is just like Oklahoma versus Texas. Some guys are that way and some get in the deer in a headlights realm. He loves to compete and loves to be coached.

"We feel good about those guys. Gabe Lynn is also competing there, Jonathan Nelson is also competing there and a freshman who has looked terrific up to this point is Aaron Colvin from Owasso. He is 185 lbs., and can really run, has great coverage skills, makes a lot of plays on the ball and is an instinctive guy."

Senior DB Quinton Carter

On pressures of being a returning starter:
"It's all on my back and I'll take the challenge. I feel like if we don't do well as a unit, it all falls back on me. I feel it's my job to get those guys ready to play. I tell myself that being a leader back there, it's my responsibility to challenge those guys, getting them extra minutes in the film room, coming out a little bit early to walk through a couple things with them if they're struggling, coming over to my house at night to go over some plays. Just little things like that takes you a long way."

On defensive backs coach Willie Martinez:
"Look back at game film from last year, I really hate the way I played technique wise. Since then I've greatly improved. The unit as whole has greatly improved with him coming. He's a great coach, so I feel we're going to do some special things with him on our side."

On summer workouts:
"I think it flowed well. The returners did well and that's what you would expect. Some of the younger guys came in and they really progressed and learned a whole lot of things over the summer. So when we transition into two-a-days, they know all the basics. They know how to line up and they know our basic calls, so we're not taking any steps back. Each day we're moving forward and getting better."

On Ronnell Lewis:
"I haven't seen many guys that look like Ronnell. Just joking around earlier watching him line up yesterday, it kind of looked like a bear. I don't know, that's all you can really say about Ronnell. Ask some of the running backs, if you get a call to his side, what are you thinking, what's going through your head?

As we know, special teams are a huge part of the game and if you get a big hit on that starting off the game, he has great potential to really injure somebody. Starting a game off like that, there's no better way. It gives you field position and with him out there it's like a secret weapon."

On the safety position:
"With Jonathan Nelson back there, he's bringing a lot of speed and is a great cover guy. Myself and Sam (Proctor), we've been really improving on our cover techniques as well as our hitting ability. Having that combination back there is like you have the best of both worlds. I really think we're going to be special, we have our own goals to be one of the top five secondaries in the country."

On last season:
"I think it's more motivation than anything. We're letting last year be last year. This is a new team and we're looking to write our own legacy."

Sophomore QB Landry Jones

On summer practices:
"I thought we had a really positive summer. I feel like our offense has been climbing ever since Oklahoma State and Stanford and we had a really good spring. I felt like we got even closer over the summer, came together and started to become a real team and a real offense."

On leadership:
"It's just kind of by default that the quarterback is going to be the leader of the team, but you can lead it in different ways, so I'm going to try to take it and lead it the way I know best and kind of the way my personality lets me lead. That's kind of the thing that I've been working on. It comes naturally and it's something that you have to work on. You have to kind of earn the respect of the guys once you step on campus and then once you have their respect you can start becoming more vocal with them and letting them know what you want and what you expect from them."

On progressing from last year to this year:
"Going into the spring, earning the starting job and working throughout the summer, I've gotten so much better at just seeing defenses and recognizing where I'm going to throw the ball even before the play starts. That's a huge thing for a quarterback to have that confidence. And also some of the receivers have played, offensive line has played and DeMarco (Murray) has always been a four or five-year starter. Having confidence in those guys and knowing that they're going to get their jobs done helps too."

On playing on the road:
"That's one thing that we kind of struggled with last year a little bit. We played great at home and then we wouldn't play very good on the road, so that's one thing we have to work on through fall camp. We've been working on it in spring and summer just becoming a team and becoming more mature going out on the road and playing some teams playing the way we have been playing at home like we're capable of."

On personal improvements:
"For me, one huge thing, I had way too many interceptions last year turning the ball over. So I think if I take care of the ball a little bit more we have a better chance of winning a lot more games. Just better decision making, not forcing the ball into tight coverage, getting balls batted up in the air, so I need make a lot better decisions this year and take care of the ball."

On quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel:
"He brings a lot of mental toughness into the quarterback room. Knowing that if things aren't going the way you want them to, just keep plugging away at it and keep working. Even if I throw eight interceptions in the first half, come back in the second half and throw two touchdowns and win the game for us, that's all he wants. He always talks about winning and losing. We don't really talk about stats in our room. We just talk about wins and losses."

On the receivers:
"They're going to be strong this year. I have total faith in those guys. We have a lot of people who have played last year so that was good in getting them starts and getting them playing time. They should be one of the strong points of our team this year."

On Kenny Stills:
"He brings more of a deeper threat on the outside. He is probably one of the fastest guys on our team, has great hands, so he's going to be a deep threat for us this year. He came in early and earned his spot, he's one of those guys that's already kind of mentally tough coming out of high school so I think that's one of the huge things for high school kids. Just to change their mental focus from high school football to college football and I think he did a really good job of transitioning into that."

On last season:
"I think that's made us hungrier to become a better team. We don't want to be a five-loss team. That's not what we're here at Oklahoma for and that's not what this program has been built on. This program has been built has on championships and that's what we're working towards during fall camp and hopefully that's how our season will turn out. We have to work hard and take it game-by-game."

On a bowl game win carrying over into the offseason:
"It was huge. We had gone a couple years without winning a bowl game, so that was our first bowl win in a couple of years. It was huge to have that going into the offseason, going in on a high and keeping that momentum during spring and summer and going into fall camp."

On the non-conference schedule:
"It's going to be a great opportunity for us. Those two teams [Florida State and Cincinnati] are great teams along with Air Force and Utah State coming in too. It's going to be a tough non-conference schedule for us and I'm excited to play."

On Drew Allen and Blake Bell:
"I have total faith in those guys. Blake Bell and Drew Allen are two great players and they're going to be great players for us in the future. And hopefully, knock on wood, nothing happens to me and I'm healthy this year."

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