I talked to numerous players and coaches at Media Day but did not have time to transcribe them right away. I will post them as I do it.
LAWRENCE GRAHAM
Coach Fritz said today he did not come here to go 6-6 and reach a bowl. His goals are bigger. Is that the way the whole team feels this year?
"Yeah, since coach Fritz has gotten here we've been on an ascending path. OK, we've reached the goal of a bowl game. Now it's time for something better. We're not going to be satisfied with just another bowl game. We need a conference championship under our belt. We plan to get one and that's a promise."
Do you feel like you're more than just a darkhorse contender in the AAC. Is a championship the expectation?
"Yes, sir, it's a definite expectation. If we fall short, it will be a disappointment. It's not one of these seasons where we just feel like we're good enough to maybe make it. We feel like we deserve it and we've worked hard for it."
With eight returning defensive starters, how confident are you guys as a defense?
"Very confident. Today being the first day of practice we went out there and had our rough patches, but for the most part everything looked pretty smooth and we're a unit. If we play as a unit, we're going to be a good one."
You lost two emotional leaders and good players in Rod Teamer and Donnie Lewis. What's the key to replacing them?
"It's next man up. Rod and Donnie are a big loss. There's losses all over the field, but it's next guys up. The freshmen have to step up, the juniors, the sophomores, everybody has to step up."
What about the talent on the defensive line in front of you?
"Man. Young, fast, hungry, aggressive. Everybody on that line from Pat (Johnson) all the way down to the newest freshman end is a dog, and I think we're going to eat."
PATRICK JOHNSON
Coach Fritz talked about not coming here to go 6-6. What are your expectations?
"The expectations for all of us right now are most definitely win the conference championship game. I don't think our minds are anywhere else this year. We want to have a 10-plus season for wins. We have a really strong core coming back on the D-line. The DBs look really good, and the offense is a whole new squad."
Not one of the 30 voters at AAC Media Days picked you to win the AAC West.
"How I go about life is I don't feel like I have to try to prove people wrong. I feel like when we were 2-5 last year, nobody else trusted in us, and you saw how we ended up--7-6. We only had each other's backs, and that's kind of how we're going to go throughout the year. Nothing comes to my mind besides just being together and not worrying about that."
How different is the offense under Will Hall?
"It's very different. It's very fast. A lot of new things can be thrown at you with a lot of different looks but is also can be different plays from the same look. He's doing a great job. Him and coach Kennedy are working great together and doing a good job."
What about the depth you have on the defensive line?
"Oh man, it's ridiculous. Hopefully it will give me a little bit of rest. Guys like Carlos (Hatcher), Juan (Monjarres), new freshman Armoni (Dixon), a guy like Torri Singletary, too. They are all growing. I know Carlos and Juan put on like 20 pounds each, so it's kind of like they caught up to me. It brings me confidence to know they can do it just like I can."
Opponents are going to game plan for you specifically this year. How much does it help to have the talent around you if that happens?
"Yeah, you can't pick off one guy. If they are trying to pick me off, that's OK. I've got three other guys on the defensive line that are going to punish you just like I would. We all have the same mentality on the D-line, so it really doesn't matter. The training I do in the offseason shouldn't be any different if I was getting double-teamed or single-teamed. Nothing really changes for me."
In the past when Tulane had any success players got satisfied and stopped working as hard. I assume that's not the case with you?
"No, that's not the case at all. That's one thing (Fritz) brought to the table when we first started doing meetings. He said I don't want to talk about being satisfied with anything, I want to win the championship next year, and that's all we've been talked about."
This team has never won back-to-back bowl games ever and hasn't been to back-to-back bowls since 1979 and 80. Are you pretty sure those stats will be put to rest?
"Oh yeah, those are going to be put to rest easy. I'm not going to say easy because you've got to come out and you still have to perform like you should, but I'm not worried about that. We've just going to take care of what we've got to do."
Cam Sample was getting the preseason accolades last year and now he's forgotten.
"That's something I keep joking around about. I tell people y'all keep sleeping on Cam. He was my roommate last year, and I'm telling you he's hungry. He goes about his business. He got hurt versus USF, and as long as he stays healthy, he's going to be a problem. Everyone will know who he is."
LAWRENCE GRAHAM
Coach Fritz said today he did not come here to go 6-6 and reach a bowl. His goals are bigger. Is that the way the whole team feels this year?
"Yeah, since coach Fritz has gotten here we've been on an ascending path. OK, we've reached the goal of a bowl game. Now it's time for something better. We're not going to be satisfied with just another bowl game. We need a conference championship under our belt. We plan to get one and that's a promise."
Do you feel like you're more than just a darkhorse contender in the AAC. Is a championship the expectation?
"Yes, sir, it's a definite expectation. If we fall short, it will be a disappointment. It's not one of these seasons where we just feel like we're good enough to maybe make it. We feel like we deserve it and we've worked hard for it."
With eight returning defensive starters, how confident are you guys as a defense?
"Very confident. Today being the first day of practice we went out there and had our rough patches, but for the most part everything looked pretty smooth and we're a unit. If we play as a unit, we're going to be a good one."
You lost two emotional leaders and good players in Rod Teamer and Donnie Lewis. What's the key to replacing them?
"It's next man up. Rod and Donnie are a big loss. There's losses all over the field, but it's next guys up. The freshmen have to step up, the juniors, the sophomores, everybody has to step up."
What about the talent on the defensive line in front of you?
"Man. Young, fast, hungry, aggressive. Everybody on that line from Pat (Johnson) all the way down to the newest freshman end is a dog, and I think we're going to eat."
PATRICK JOHNSON
Coach Fritz talked about not coming here to go 6-6. What are your expectations?
"The expectations for all of us right now are most definitely win the conference championship game. I don't think our minds are anywhere else this year. We want to have a 10-plus season for wins. We have a really strong core coming back on the D-line. The DBs look really good, and the offense is a whole new squad."
Not one of the 30 voters at AAC Media Days picked you to win the AAC West.
"How I go about life is I don't feel like I have to try to prove people wrong. I feel like when we were 2-5 last year, nobody else trusted in us, and you saw how we ended up--7-6. We only had each other's backs, and that's kind of how we're going to go throughout the year. Nothing comes to my mind besides just being together and not worrying about that."
How different is the offense under Will Hall?
"It's very different. It's very fast. A lot of new things can be thrown at you with a lot of different looks but is also can be different plays from the same look. He's doing a great job. Him and coach Kennedy are working great together and doing a good job."
What about the depth you have on the defensive line?
"Oh man, it's ridiculous. Hopefully it will give me a little bit of rest. Guys like Carlos (Hatcher), Juan (Monjarres), new freshman Armoni (Dixon), a guy like Torri Singletary, too. They are all growing. I know Carlos and Juan put on like 20 pounds each, so it's kind of like they caught up to me. It brings me confidence to know they can do it just like I can."
Opponents are going to game plan for you specifically this year. How much does it help to have the talent around you if that happens?
"Yeah, you can't pick off one guy. If they are trying to pick me off, that's OK. I've got three other guys on the defensive line that are going to punish you just like I would. We all have the same mentality on the D-line, so it really doesn't matter. The training I do in the offseason shouldn't be any different if I was getting double-teamed or single-teamed. Nothing really changes for me."
In the past when Tulane had any success players got satisfied and stopped working as hard. I assume that's not the case with you?
"No, that's not the case at all. That's one thing (Fritz) brought to the table when we first started doing meetings. He said I don't want to talk about being satisfied with anything, I want to win the championship next year, and that's all we've been talked about."
This team has never won back-to-back bowl games ever and hasn't been to back-to-back bowls since 1979 and 80. Are you pretty sure those stats will be put to rest?
"Oh yeah, those are going to be put to rest easy. I'm not going to say easy because you've got to come out and you still have to perform like you should, but I'm not worried about that. We've just going to take care of what we've got to do."
Cam Sample was getting the preseason accolades last year and now he's forgotten.
"That's something I keep joking around about. I tell people y'all keep sleeping on Cam. He was my roommate last year, and I'm telling you he's hungry. He goes about his business. He got hurt versus USF, and as long as he stays healthy, he's going to be a problem. Everyone will know who he is."
