Football Quotes – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/4/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 4, 2001
Head Coach Jim Tressel
On Akron
“They’re going to be a physical football team. Any team that practices on turf is tough. They believe in the run and tough, physical defense. They have positive momentum after last week and have been on an upward trend over the years. They have a great back and a big, experienced offensive line. We have to be ready to play.
“I’m just excited to get his game started. I like our team and we’ll be focused on Saturday. If you say that you’re not going to be nervous, anxious and awe struck, you’re lying. It’s going to be special for me, our coaches, our players and our fans.”
On the quarterbacks
“We’re going to see two for sure and we’ll go from there. I hope they stay healthy enough to stay in there. Craig (Krenzel) and Rick (McFadden) are healthy enough that they can play some also. We’ll have to wait and see how they feel.”
Offensive Coordinator Jim Bollman
On the Buckeye offense
“We’re all anxious to show what we can do. We’re ready to stop hitting each other and actually play a game. It’s going to be interesting. There are still a lot of questions in our offense. Not everything will be settled after this week or next week. We’ll let it evolve to see who our best players are. Depth is probably the biggest problem on the offensive line. I’m very pleased with the starters, but we need guys who can step in and give these guys a breather when needed.”
On Akron
“They’re a solid team. Football games are football games. If we don’t approach things the right way, they may not turn out the way we want. With the 85-scholarship rule every team has good players. If you take anyone lightly, you may find yourself in a position you don’t like. We have to come out and be aggressive from the start.” Special Teams Coach Ken Conatser
On his special teams
“We expect a lot of things. We’ve prepared all year for everything. Both of our kickers and punters have done a great job. It will be announced Saturday when we line up who will kick. All of them will get a chance to punt and kick on Saturday. It also depends on the situation we’re in- like where we are on the field and the weather perhaps will also play a factor. I love the way our guys compete. Not having a clear-cut number one guy makes them work that much harder.”
Head Coach Jim Tressel
On Joe Cooper
“Joe has done a great job filling the leadership role. I’ve enjoyed my time with him. We’re going to make sure that we enjoy our one season together and make the most of it. He shows a lot of competitiveness and I’m anxious to watch his senior season.”
On Steve Bellisari
“It’s been a lot of fun working with Steve because I know how much passion he has for the game and the passion he has to become as good as he can be. The thing I like about him is that he’s been out there and he knows a little bit more about what he sees after a play. He can answer a question before I ask it. I like that in a quarterback. I’m anxious to get Steve out there on Saturday and have a lot of fun.”
On Jamar Martin
“He’s a real bruising fullback. There’s not much fun and glory in the fullback position. But I’m confident that when Jamar gets his hands on the football he’s going to do great things with it. More importantly he’s going to be a great blocker and a good pass receiver. I am looking for Jamar to have a great year.”
On Mike Collins
“Our defensive front is going to take a lot of pride in what there doing. There’s no question to me that their leader is Mike Collins. He’s worked hard and he’ll have an outstanding year.”
Joe Cooper (Sr., Columbus, Ohio/Independence)
On team expectations
“I’m very pleased with how this team has come together. Everyone has been staying focused on the task at hand, which is Akron. We still have work to do and have things we must get better at. We want to go into this game looking sharp. If we do that we’ll have success.”
Steve Bellisari (Sr., Boca Raton, Fla./Boca Raton)
“We’re very excited about this season. We have a lot of young guys who are real anxious to get out there and show what they can do. We’re going to rotate a lot of new faces and mix it up offensively. It’s going to be exciting.”
Jamar Martin (Sr., Canton, Ohio/McKinley)
“We’ve done a good job concentrating and focusing on our goals. Our seniors especially are looking forward to this season and are very anxious about Saturday and taking that first step toward a national championship which is where we want to be.
Mike Collins (Newark, Ohio/Newark & Fork Union)
“Everyone has pulled together during camp. A lot of team unity was established. The players have handled everything very well. Everyone is anxious to get the new season underway and kick off a new era, a new tradition and get the swagger back in the Ohio State step.”
Q: (Coach Tressel) Do you feel more confident playing against MAC schools like Akron now that you have a higher caliber of players here at Ohio State?
A: “We’re working very hard with the players we have now to help them become as good as they can be. I do have a high caliber of players. But we’re just focused on the task of becoming as good as we can be. I haven’t really thought of it that way at all. We don’t really know that much about Akron because it’s so early in the season.”
Q: (Coach Tressel) What is your situation at split end and flanker?
A: “Our situation at split end and flanker is that we’re very young. I like what they’re doing. I think they run well and have been really focusing. (Assistant) Coach Joe Daniels does a great job with them. A great receiver has great awareness and I see our young receivers building that. Michael Jenkins has gotten better from day one. Chris Vance has flashed at times and shown ability to make big plays. Bam Childress is still learning the consistency of playing offense and has shown very good things. Chris Gamble has excellent awareness, which is a little beyond what a normal freshman would have. Then of course we have guys like Ricky Bryant, John Hollis and Drew Carter who has been slowed by an injury. It would be hard to assess our wide receiver situation at this point.”
Q: (Coach Tressel) What is it going to be like for yourself at noon on Saturday when you take the field for the first time as the head coach for Ohio State?
A: “Right now my emotions are so busy. I don’t know what I’ll be feeling at noon on Saturday. I know my guys will be nervous and I will be too. I would say that I’ll be right along the same lines as my players.”
Q: (Joe Cooper) How do you feel the stadium renovation will help the team this year?
A: “The extra thousand or so seats will definitely help us. It’s going to make it even more intimidating for opposing teams. We won’t be primarily focused on how many people are in the stands. We’ll be focused on the task at hand, which is the game.”
Q: (Steve Bellisari) How does it make you feel when you hear Coach Tressel say good things about you and are you looking for a breakout season?
A: “Anytime you hear coach say those things it makes you feel good. It gives me a lot of confidence. As far as having a breakout year, I don’t think I’ve played that poorly. I’m very excited about this year. I can’t wait to get out there and play with these receivers.”
Q: (Coach Tressel) How do you see the tailback situation evolving?
A: Right now I’m hoping that our No. 28 (Jonathan Wells) has a bigger day than their No. 28. Our No. 28 is a senior and this is his last opportunity to have one of those years that a players dreams about when they come to Ohio State as a tailback. That is where my thought process is first. Sammy Maldonado has shown some things over the course of spring and fall that tell you that he’s going to have some opportunities. Jesse Kline is an interesting guy because he is so flexible. You’ll see him on all kinds of special teams and tailback at times. Than we have those three young guys (Ja Ja Riley, Lydell Ross and Maurice Hall). All of them at various times this preseason have raised some eyebrows. I feel good about all three of them.”
