ROD TEAMER
The last two games, was it a lingering injury that knocked you out because I did not see anything on the last play for you in both games?
"The situation was against Houston I suffered a concussion. We had some extra time so we figured I'd be better for Navy, but as I got into the first couple of series I wasn't feeling myself. I notified the trainers and they pulled me immediately."
How much does it mean to get to play one more g?ame as a four-year big-time contributor
"Of course, whenever the injury was first suffered we discussed being smart about it. Head injuries are something you don't play around with, but we took the right amount of time and I'm pleased with the way the staff handled it and I'm fine."
Were you able to watch the Navy game from the sideline after being pulled?
"When they first pulled me, they took me to the locker room just to kind of calm me down. I was real upset about not being able to play. In the beginning of the fourth quarter they let me come back outside."
How nerve-wracking was it to watch?
"It was very nerve-wracking but I kept faith in my teammates and those guys, Tirise (Barge) and Chase (Kuerschen), they did a great job. I was proud of them."
What does it mean for your legacy to be playing in a bowl?
"It means everything because this is something that we've talked about for years now, is achieving this goal that we have. I'm excited for the program. I'm excited to see what's going to happen next year because things change after you win bowl games for the better. When you don't win, things change for the worse. I'm happy to see the strides Tulane's going to make, getting a new OC. It's exciting for the program, so I'm really excited for it."
So how big a difference is it between winning and losing the Cure Bowl?
"That's something you don't really want to think about too much. It is a bowl game but the goal is to have a winning season, so obviously we're not out here playing around. It's the same intensity for a bowl game of course."
What makes Jack Curtis a good coach?
"Coach Curtis is an extremely smart guy. He pays extreme attention to details, and the focus that he brings to meetings and the intensity is the same on the field. Before this year he was my position coach. He was actually with the safeties, so since he's been here I've been in the meeting room with him. I've learned so much from him. The biggest thing he talked about with me was transitioning from the board to the field. The things that you learn in meetings, it doesn't matter if you know it but you can't execute it, so that was the biggest thing with me. Coach Curtis is big with schemes."
What's his personality like?
"He's real intense but he knows how to have fun. He's a down-south guy, real old school. I used to joke with him a lot and he didn't like it. I told him he reminded me of my grandfather. Nobody wants to be prepared to a grandpa, but I like my grandpa. That says a lot about coach Curtis to me."
You guys are in the top half of the AAC in virtually every defensive stat even though the defense as a whole is young. What does that say about Curtis and the staff?
"It starts from the top down, leadership from the top down. Everything on defense starts with coach Curtis because he's our DC, and whatever methods he relays to his coaches, they relay to us and we we're going to execute and do what he wishes."
With recruiting going on and Fritz missing a practice and other coaches not being around, how have the bowl practices gone?
"It was more of a captain-led practice, older guys leading position groups, but our team is mature. We have a lot of young guys as you know, but we're a mature team and when it's time to work, we work."
How good are the young guys on the defensive line going to be?
"Those guys have come a long way, and that's a huge testament to coach Peoples. He's real intense as well, so they don't really have a choice but to focus and get it in with coach Peoples, but I'm proud of those guys. A lot of those guys really haven't gotten a lot of reps and in the bowl game could potentially help us out a lot, so I'm excited about that."
Patrick Johnson had no sacks after three games this year and finished with 10, becoming the third player in school history with double-digit sacks in a season. What makes him the player he is?
"This is what I'll tell you, and Patrick is sitting right over there. I told Patrick he needed to get it together (laughs). But you know, Patrick moved to a different position, and I feel like that was a lot to do with it. It was an adjustment, and I told him once you get comfortable, you are going to be able to do what you do, so don't get frustrated. Just keep grinding, keep balling and I'm right behind you because we were on the same side of the field so I could communicate with him pretty easily. I'm proud of him and I'm excited to see how he's going to take over next year when I'm gone."
The last two games, was it a lingering injury that knocked you out because I did not see anything on the last play for you in both games?
"The situation was against Houston I suffered a concussion. We had some extra time so we figured I'd be better for Navy, but as I got into the first couple of series I wasn't feeling myself. I notified the trainers and they pulled me immediately."
How much does it mean to get to play one more g?ame as a four-year big-time contributor
"Of course, whenever the injury was first suffered we discussed being smart about it. Head injuries are something you don't play around with, but we took the right amount of time and I'm pleased with the way the staff handled it and I'm fine."
Were you able to watch the Navy game from the sideline after being pulled?
"When they first pulled me, they took me to the locker room just to kind of calm me down. I was real upset about not being able to play. In the beginning of the fourth quarter they let me come back outside."
How nerve-wracking was it to watch?
"It was very nerve-wracking but I kept faith in my teammates and those guys, Tirise (Barge) and Chase (Kuerschen), they did a great job. I was proud of them."
What does it mean for your legacy to be playing in a bowl?
"It means everything because this is something that we've talked about for years now, is achieving this goal that we have. I'm excited for the program. I'm excited to see what's going to happen next year because things change after you win bowl games for the better. When you don't win, things change for the worse. I'm happy to see the strides Tulane's going to make, getting a new OC. It's exciting for the program, so I'm really excited for it."
So how big a difference is it between winning and losing the Cure Bowl?
"That's something you don't really want to think about too much. It is a bowl game but the goal is to have a winning season, so obviously we're not out here playing around. It's the same intensity for a bowl game of course."
What makes Jack Curtis a good coach?
"Coach Curtis is an extremely smart guy. He pays extreme attention to details, and the focus that he brings to meetings and the intensity is the same on the field. Before this year he was my position coach. He was actually with the safeties, so since he's been here I've been in the meeting room with him. I've learned so much from him. The biggest thing he talked about with me was transitioning from the board to the field. The things that you learn in meetings, it doesn't matter if you know it but you can't execute it, so that was the biggest thing with me. Coach Curtis is big with schemes."
What's his personality like?
"He's real intense but he knows how to have fun. He's a down-south guy, real old school. I used to joke with him a lot and he didn't like it. I told him he reminded me of my grandfather. Nobody wants to be prepared to a grandpa, but I like my grandpa. That says a lot about coach Curtis to me."
You guys are in the top half of the AAC in virtually every defensive stat even though the defense as a whole is young. What does that say about Curtis and the staff?
"It starts from the top down, leadership from the top down. Everything on defense starts with coach Curtis because he's our DC, and whatever methods he relays to his coaches, they relay to us and we we're going to execute and do what he wishes."
With recruiting going on and Fritz missing a practice and other coaches not being around, how have the bowl practices gone?
"It was more of a captain-led practice, older guys leading position groups, but our team is mature. We have a lot of young guys as you know, but we're a mature team and when it's time to work, we work."
How good are the young guys on the defensive line going to be?
"Those guys have come a long way, and that's a huge testament to coach Peoples. He's real intense as well, so they don't really have a choice but to focus and get it in with coach Peoples, but I'm proud of those guys. A lot of those guys really haven't gotten a lot of reps and in the bowl game could potentially help us out a lot, so I'm excited about that."
Patrick Johnson had no sacks after three games this year and finished with 10, becoming the third player in school history with double-digit sacks in a season. What makes him the player he is?
"This is what I'll tell you, and Patrick is sitting right over there. I told Patrick he needed to get it together (laughs). But you know, Patrick moved to a different position, and I feel like that was a lot to do with it. It was an adjustment, and I told him once you get comfortable, you are going to be able to do what you do, so don't get frustrated. Just keep grinding, keep balling and I'm right behind you because we were on the same side of the field so I could communicate with him pretty easily. I'm proud of him and I'm excited to see how he's going to take over next year when I'm gone."