Donnie Lewis and John Leglue spoke yesterday after practice.
LEWIS
How significant is this game?
The bowl game is way bigger. It's against an in-state team. It's kind of a big deal to us as players. We take it personally with two in-state teams coming to Orlando. We're definitely ready to get after it."
Do you know anybody well on that team?
"I know Levi (Lewis), the quarterback. I played him a lot growing up. He's a big friend. We're pretty cool. He went to Scotlandville, so we played a lot in high school. We haven't talked about the game, but when I see him it's all brotherly love. We'll joke around and whatnot."
How would you describe his game?
"I would compare him to the Houston quarterback with his feet, moreso with his feet than with his arm."
They have a really good ground game. How do you match up?
"They have a pretty good run game and we hold ourselves high on the run stop. We are going to come out, load that box and play on our side. We are going to stick to our game plan we've been playing all year."
How much pride do you take in your tackling?
"Personally I've taken a lot of pride in my tackling. I actually got pulled from starting my freshman year because of tackling. Ever since then I've just been big on wrapping up, tackling and being more aggressive, so I definitely take a lot of pride into that."
When you got this bowl bid, Willie Fritz put his hand near the floor and said having fun was near the bottom of the priorities. How do you balance that this week?
"It's a lot of emotions being our first bowl game in a long time and also with the location that we're going to, we're going to a place that it's easy to get distracted. Coach Fritz's whole thing was at the end of the day it's still a business trip. We're coming to win the game, so we're going to have our little vacation time but at the end of the day we're coming to win."
If you win, you finish with a winning record, and if you lose, you finish with a losing record. How important is it for your legacy?
"I don't know how long it's been since Tulane's had an actual winning season (the players do not appear aware of 2013), but it's been some years. Like I spoke to you all year, we want to turn it around and have that winning legacy. We're still after the same goal, so we have to get it."
How hard is it to balance final exams with football right now? It's not something you've had to do.
"It's very, very difficult, especially being here at Tulane with academics being so high. We come in like I practice in the morning and we get a lot of tutors testing us throughout the day. We find time for our tutors and studying and whatnot, so we can balance it out pretty well."
When are you exams?
"My exam isn't until I get back from the bowl game, so I have nothing to worry about before the bowl and then I'll worry about it after the game.
Have they moved exams to accommodate the team?
"Some players. The foreign language department got together and we all decided that everybody was going to take it once we got back, but as far as other players, they've had exams and we've been doing workouts and practice based around those exams so we can get everybody practicing together."
What is your exam?
"I have a Spanish III exam."
What makes coach Curtis a good defensive coordinator?
"Coach Curtis is a good defensive coordinator because he trusts his guys. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses. It would be easier for a coach if the DBs were like, hey, coach, let's just play man, so that's what we are. We communicate very well. We have a very good player-coach relationship, all the players and all the coaches. He just trusts us and knows our strengths and lets us come out and play."
What's he like personally?
"You never know what you're going to get with him on the field. He's a very competitive guy, and he wears his emotions on his sleeve. He walks around screaming to the top of his lungs, but it's all love at the end of the day. Some things might come out of his mouth, but at the end of the day it's all towards winning."
LEGLUE
What have the last couple of weeks been like getting ready for a bowl game for the first time?
"For the first time it's a great experience. Being able to come out here and practice with my brothers for a few more weeks is awesome. Us fifth-year seniors and fourth-year seniors have been striving to go to a bowl game and win a bowl game, so this week we've been having the right mindset to go out there and have success this weekend."
Willie Fritz said having fun on the bowl trip was at the bottom of the list of priorities. How do you balance that going into this game?
"Everybody on the team understands it's a business trip. The reason why we're able to go out there is we won six games and we just have to keep progressing each and every week. Us fifth-year seniors want to leave the foundation for the underclassmen, so that's what we're planning to do."
It's the difference between having a winning record and a losing record. Does that give it extra significance?
"Oh for sure. Everybody, especially all the seniors, wants to go out as a winner. Everybody has been practicing well this week and we're planning on going out and executing."
Donnie Lewis talked about the importance of beating an in-state opponent. You're from Alexandria. Do you feel any kind of wanting to show some dominance in the state also?
"A hundred percent. I was committed to Lafayette. I really want to go out there and beat them. I have a lot of kin in Lafayette. It's an hour away. I grew up going to Lafayette all the time, so I really want to go out there and do my job. Everybody needs to do their jobs."
Did you commit to Tulane around the time of the bowl game?
"I ended up committing a week before signing day. Tulane offered me late, and my parents told me it's all about the 40-year experience post graduation because football's going to end one day. I just trusted my parents and it ended up paying off. I was able to get a master's from Tulane."
How excited are you to really leave your mark on this program with a win in Florida?
"The whole experience has been phenomenal. Everybody came here to a new stadium and a new conference and everything, and this is just a huge testimonial to coach Fritz. We were able to go out there and work every day and come out as winners, and we really want to leave that foundation."
What has the journey been like from the first game at Yulman Stadium to your last game in Orlando?
It's crazy. I remember running out my freshman year, I knew I was redshirting but I was so amped up. It was a great crowd for that Georgia Tech game, and then for my Senior Day it was a great turnout. At the end of the fourth quarter after we scored that 2-point conversion, that's the loudest I've ever heard Yulman. It was a great experience, and I have a feeling we'll travel well to Orlando and there will be a lot of Tulane supporters supporting us through all the success we've had this season."
Did you see Joey Claybrook's celebration?
"Yeah, I was celebrating too and the moment, and when I saw the video, I said 'that's what I'm talking about.' Offensive linemen never really get credit, so any time we have an opportunity to celebrate we all love hopping into the party."
LEWIS
How significant is this game?
The bowl game is way bigger. It's against an in-state team. It's kind of a big deal to us as players. We take it personally with two in-state teams coming to Orlando. We're definitely ready to get after it."
Do you know anybody well on that team?
"I know Levi (Lewis), the quarterback. I played him a lot growing up. He's a big friend. We're pretty cool. He went to Scotlandville, so we played a lot in high school. We haven't talked about the game, but when I see him it's all brotherly love. We'll joke around and whatnot."
How would you describe his game?
"I would compare him to the Houston quarterback with his feet, moreso with his feet than with his arm."
They have a really good ground game. How do you match up?
"They have a pretty good run game and we hold ourselves high on the run stop. We are going to come out, load that box and play on our side. We are going to stick to our game plan we've been playing all year."
How much pride do you take in your tackling?
"Personally I've taken a lot of pride in my tackling. I actually got pulled from starting my freshman year because of tackling. Ever since then I've just been big on wrapping up, tackling and being more aggressive, so I definitely take a lot of pride into that."
When you got this bowl bid, Willie Fritz put his hand near the floor and said having fun was near the bottom of the priorities. How do you balance that this week?
"It's a lot of emotions being our first bowl game in a long time and also with the location that we're going to, we're going to a place that it's easy to get distracted. Coach Fritz's whole thing was at the end of the day it's still a business trip. We're coming to win the game, so we're going to have our little vacation time but at the end of the day we're coming to win."
If you win, you finish with a winning record, and if you lose, you finish with a losing record. How important is it for your legacy?
"I don't know how long it's been since Tulane's had an actual winning season (the players do not appear aware of 2013), but it's been some years. Like I spoke to you all year, we want to turn it around and have that winning legacy. We're still after the same goal, so we have to get it."
How hard is it to balance final exams with football right now? It's not something you've had to do.
"It's very, very difficult, especially being here at Tulane with academics being so high. We come in like I practice in the morning and we get a lot of tutors testing us throughout the day. We find time for our tutors and studying and whatnot, so we can balance it out pretty well."
When are you exams?
"My exam isn't until I get back from the bowl game, so I have nothing to worry about before the bowl and then I'll worry about it after the game.
Have they moved exams to accommodate the team?
"Some players. The foreign language department got together and we all decided that everybody was going to take it once we got back, but as far as other players, they've had exams and we've been doing workouts and practice based around those exams so we can get everybody practicing together."
What is your exam?
"I have a Spanish III exam."
What makes coach Curtis a good defensive coordinator?
"Coach Curtis is a good defensive coordinator because he trusts his guys. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses. It would be easier for a coach if the DBs were like, hey, coach, let's just play man, so that's what we are. We communicate very well. We have a very good player-coach relationship, all the players and all the coaches. He just trusts us and knows our strengths and lets us come out and play."
What's he like personally?
"You never know what you're going to get with him on the field. He's a very competitive guy, and he wears his emotions on his sleeve. He walks around screaming to the top of his lungs, but it's all love at the end of the day. Some things might come out of his mouth, but at the end of the day it's all towards winning."
LEGLUE
What have the last couple of weeks been like getting ready for a bowl game for the first time?
"For the first time it's a great experience. Being able to come out here and practice with my brothers for a few more weeks is awesome. Us fifth-year seniors and fourth-year seniors have been striving to go to a bowl game and win a bowl game, so this week we've been having the right mindset to go out there and have success this weekend."
Willie Fritz said having fun on the bowl trip was at the bottom of the list of priorities. How do you balance that going into this game?
"Everybody on the team understands it's a business trip. The reason why we're able to go out there is we won six games and we just have to keep progressing each and every week. Us fifth-year seniors want to leave the foundation for the underclassmen, so that's what we're planning to do."
It's the difference between having a winning record and a losing record. Does that give it extra significance?
"Oh for sure. Everybody, especially all the seniors, wants to go out as a winner. Everybody has been practicing well this week and we're planning on going out and executing."
Donnie Lewis talked about the importance of beating an in-state opponent. You're from Alexandria. Do you feel any kind of wanting to show some dominance in the state also?
"A hundred percent. I was committed to Lafayette. I really want to go out there and beat them. I have a lot of kin in Lafayette. It's an hour away. I grew up going to Lafayette all the time, so I really want to go out there and do my job. Everybody needs to do their jobs."
Did you commit to Tulane around the time of the bowl game?
"I ended up committing a week before signing day. Tulane offered me late, and my parents told me it's all about the 40-year experience post graduation because football's going to end one day. I just trusted my parents and it ended up paying off. I was able to get a master's from Tulane."
How excited are you to really leave your mark on this program with a win in Florida?
"The whole experience has been phenomenal. Everybody came here to a new stadium and a new conference and everything, and this is just a huge testimonial to coach Fritz. We were able to go out there and work every day and come out as winners, and we really want to leave that foundation."
What has the journey been like from the first game at Yulman Stadium to your last game in Orlando?
It's crazy. I remember running out my freshman year, I knew I was redshirting but I was so amped up. It was a great crowd for that Georgia Tech game, and then for my Senior Day it was a great turnout. At the end of the fourth quarter after we scored that 2-point conversion, that's the loudest I've ever heard Yulman. It was a great experience, and I have a feeling we'll travel well to Orlando and there will be a lot of Tulane supporters supporting us through all the success we've had this season."
Did you see Joey Claybrook's celebration?
"Yeah, I was celebrating too and the moment, and when I saw the video, I said 'that's what I'm talking about.' Offensive linemen never really get credit, so any time we have an opportunity to celebrate we all love hopping into the party."