Here is my interview with Jeff Conway after Tuesday morning's practice. Tulane will practice Thursday morning and then end the spring with the spring game on Saturday at 10 a.m.
You didn't have any injuries to your nine healthy wide receivers this spring (Encalade, Glenn, Robertson, Mooney, Owens, Clewis and walk-ons Brian Newman, Rocky Ferony and Reed Green). How much did that help (Andrew Hicks and Chris Johnson were out for the entire spring)?
"It always helps keeping everybody healthy because your better players get reps and get better, but the good thing is the kids who are running second and third team get a bunch of reps, too. In the springtime we evaluate everybody, and you can see them getting better day by day, which is really important."
It was a pretty raw receiving corps last year. How much better is is this spring?
"It's night and day. We are substantially better. Now this is spring to spring, and I do think we've made another step from the fall to the spring, but the real determining factor is when we get to the fall and we get to an actual game. I know this. The kids are working extremely hard to prep for that time period because they understand the importance. Without us telling them, they are fully aware of how we did in the passing game last year and how that has to be the next step for us."
What was the biggest problem for the receivers in the fall?
"It wasn't just one thing. We would have a little success in a short time period and then we would falter in some form or fashion, so I think more than anything we've developed some consistency. We've always had some talent. The coaching staff before us left us some good receivers, but developing that consistency is such a huge factor, and I think that's what we lacked at times last year.
"Matt Forte came to talk to us last Thursday, and one of the things he talked about is the coaches need to know what they are going to get, and you do that by being a consistent player every single day."
Encalade had a pretty good year last year. How much better can he become?
"The sky's the limit. First and foremost, he's got a work ethic that's unparalleled. As long as he continues that work ethic, he will get better because there are still some areas where he needs to improve on and he's working hard. One of the things that's good about Terren is that he doesn't just work on things that he's already good at. As a good receiver, to take the next step you want to be able to work on things you're not very good at, and that's hard to do for a young guy sometimes."
What is he best at?
"He's a really tough guy, so if we make an adjustment with him, he's mentally tough enough to be able to handle it and be successful and understand what we're talking about. Also, he's not necessarily a yeller and a screamer, but by working hard, and that's in all facets, we talk about on special teams having 18 to 22 players that are dependable who can run and hit. Those guys are the core of your special teams, and he's one of those guys. The kids look at him and see that he's a tough guy. It's leadership by example."
What do you like about Darnell Mooney and what does he need to work on?
"Again, the consistency is a big deal for him. Darnell's size is such that he has to overcome his lack of size. Now he has gained about 10 or 12 pounds from last year in the offseason program, and he should be given credit. We saw receivers last year we played against, big strong guys, and Darnell can be that kind of guy because he has those skills, but there are times he gets in a confined situation where he has to be stronger. He's already got the quickness. He has good hands. He understands receiver play. Just his physical maturation is a huge step forward."
How has Jabril Clewis meshed with what you are trying to do?
"Really well. He's been a nice surprise. You never know when you bring a young man in from the outside, especially someone who's been at a different university, how he's going to react to whatever changes we ask him to go through, and he's done very well in that regard. One of the good things is because he's a good kid and wants to learn, the rest of the position players and therefore the team has accepted him and embraced him and helped him along with the process, too."
Jacob Robertson, who got injured early last year, and D.J. Owens, who was redshirted, did not really have a role last year. How is their progress?
"We had a good feeling that Jacob had some skills that we could utilize here, so really this spring was his first exposure to full-time football in an extended period because he got injured so quick last year that we only saw bits and pieces of what he could do, and he's shown some big-play ability out here. And D.J. knows what he has to work on and is attacking those things."
What does he have to work on?
"D.J.'s big thing right now is for him to go hard every play. I guess I keep harping on the same thing, but it's consistency. D.J. will be very successful for two or three plays, and then they'll be a drop-off for two or three plays. That's what's kept him from being a big-time player, but I do think he's addressing that."
You have some walk-ons. Has anyone stood out?
"Brian Newman has really done a good job. He's a transfer as well (from Hillsdale College), and he's been in our program for a year. He's one of those kids who just does everything right. He comes in and watches a ton of extra film with us as coaches. He never misses workouts. He's constantly working hard. He has good hands. He has good quickness. He's not the biggest kid, but he's 185 pounds (5-8) and is very strong for any of the guys in our receiving corps. I can see Brian getting snaps next year. We don't really care whether you're scholarship or non-scholarship. If you're productive, we're going to play you. And then Rocky Ferony's done a good job, too."
Will Chris Johnson be ready for preseason practice?
"He will be healthy. We're told that he will be full go by the fall."
You didn't have any injuries to your nine healthy wide receivers this spring (Encalade, Glenn, Robertson, Mooney, Owens, Clewis and walk-ons Brian Newman, Rocky Ferony and Reed Green). How much did that help (Andrew Hicks and Chris Johnson were out for the entire spring)?
"It always helps keeping everybody healthy because your better players get reps and get better, but the good thing is the kids who are running second and third team get a bunch of reps, too. In the springtime we evaluate everybody, and you can see them getting better day by day, which is really important."
It was a pretty raw receiving corps last year. How much better is is this spring?
"It's night and day. We are substantially better. Now this is spring to spring, and I do think we've made another step from the fall to the spring, but the real determining factor is when we get to the fall and we get to an actual game. I know this. The kids are working extremely hard to prep for that time period because they understand the importance. Without us telling them, they are fully aware of how we did in the passing game last year and how that has to be the next step for us."
What was the biggest problem for the receivers in the fall?
"It wasn't just one thing. We would have a little success in a short time period and then we would falter in some form or fashion, so I think more than anything we've developed some consistency. We've always had some talent. The coaching staff before us left us some good receivers, but developing that consistency is such a huge factor, and I think that's what we lacked at times last year.
"Matt Forte came to talk to us last Thursday, and one of the things he talked about is the coaches need to know what they are going to get, and you do that by being a consistent player every single day."
Encalade had a pretty good year last year. How much better can he become?
"The sky's the limit. First and foremost, he's got a work ethic that's unparalleled. As long as he continues that work ethic, he will get better because there are still some areas where he needs to improve on and he's working hard. One of the things that's good about Terren is that he doesn't just work on things that he's already good at. As a good receiver, to take the next step you want to be able to work on things you're not very good at, and that's hard to do for a young guy sometimes."
What is he best at?
"He's a really tough guy, so if we make an adjustment with him, he's mentally tough enough to be able to handle it and be successful and understand what we're talking about. Also, he's not necessarily a yeller and a screamer, but by working hard, and that's in all facets, we talk about on special teams having 18 to 22 players that are dependable who can run and hit. Those guys are the core of your special teams, and he's one of those guys. The kids look at him and see that he's a tough guy. It's leadership by example."
What do you like about Darnell Mooney and what does he need to work on?
"Again, the consistency is a big deal for him. Darnell's size is such that he has to overcome his lack of size. Now he has gained about 10 or 12 pounds from last year in the offseason program, and he should be given credit. We saw receivers last year we played against, big strong guys, and Darnell can be that kind of guy because he has those skills, but there are times he gets in a confined situation where he has to be stronger. He's already got the quickness. He has good hands. He understands receiver play. Just his physical maturation is a huge step forward."
How has Jabril Clewis meshed with what you are trying to do?
"Really well. He's been a nice surprise. You never know when you bring a young man in from the outside, especially someone who's been at a different university, how he's going to react to whatever changes we ask him to go through, and he's done very well in that regard. One of the good things is because he's a good kid and wants to learn, the rest of the position players and therefore the team has accepted him and embraced him and helped him along with the process, too."
Jacob Robertson, who got injured early last year, and D.J. Owens, who was redshirted, did not really have a role last year. How is their progress?
"We had a good feeling that Jacob had some skills that we could utilize here, so really this spring was his first exposure to full-time football in an extended period because he got injured so quick last year that we only saw bits and pieces of what he could do, and he's shown some big-play ability out here. And D.J. knows what he has to work on and is attacking those things."
What does he have to work on?
"D.J.'s big thing right now is for him to go hard every play. I guess I keep harping on the same thing, but it's consistency. D.J. will be very successful for two or three plays, and then they'll be a drop-off for two or three plays. That's what's kept him from being a big-time player, but I do think he's addressing that."
You have some walk-ons. Has anyone stood out?
"Brian Newman has really done a good job. He's a transfer as well (from Hillsdale College), and he's been in our program for a year. He's one of those kids who just does everything right. He comes in and watches a ton of extra film with us as coaches. He never misses workouts. He's constantly working hard. He has good hands. He has good quickness. He's not the biggest kid, but he's 185 pounds (5-8) and is very strong for any of the guys in our receiving corps. I can see Brian getting snaps next year. We don't really care whether you're scholarship or non-scholarship. If you're productive, we're going to play you. And then Rocky Ferony's done a good job, too."
Will Chris Johnson be ready for preseason practice?
"He will be healthy. We're told that he will be full go by the fall."
