Football Quotes (8-7) – Ohio State Buckeyes
8/7/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 7, 2002
Head coach Jim Tressel
On the morning practice:
“It was a physical practice and we accomplished a lot of things. I think because the tempo and enthusiasm were good, consequently the hitting was good. If they say the hitting was harder, then we might have a chance.”
On the freshmen’s first day in pads:
“I didn’t see anyone back away from hitting, which was good. I think they were all anxious. They encouraged one another and stayed strong. I think that is real important. We have to keep banging and keep getting better. Unfortunately there is risk in hitting, but there is also a risk when you don’t hit enough. We try to keep the right balance.”
On the injuries:
“We do have some guys banged up. The only guy we were kind of worried about was David Thompson. His MRI came back that he only has a knee sprain. He is a fifth year guy and we want him to have a career year. So it is good to see that it is not a major injury.”
On Saturday’s scrimmage:
“I hope we will get a lot of reps. I expect 130 to 140 plays. This will be a lot of the guys’ first time in the stadium and first chance to bang against each other. We want as much of a game-like experience as we can get. The scrimmage will be our first true measuring stick. I think we will be able to walk out here on Monday and talk about which player is head to head with which player.”
On which players had a good first day of hitting:
“The guy that always shows up when you hit is Michael Doss. He loves to hit and is explosive. I thought Will Smith and Darrion Scott really showed up. I was pleased with some of the guys up front, pass protection wise.” On the first practice in pads:
“I think we received a lot of enthusiasm in hitting and challenged them this morning. We tested them again this afternoon to see how well they could bounce back from being banged around. I thought as time wore on during practice they were revved up and ready to go.”
