Aug. 8, 2008

Senior ILB Maurice Crum Jr.
On putting the past season behind them…
“It’s hard, but after the season you just make it a point of emphasis to not worry about last year.”

On growth of the team for this season…
“I think it’s just the commitment of the team and the coaches. All of the younger guys are more developed now and we’ve got some leadership. Guys have really stepped up for us.”

On deciding to come back for a fifth-year…
“Initially I just talked to my dad and my family and came to the conclusion that it was best for me right now. I really want to right the ship and leave my name associated with something that’s a little more positive.”

On some positives the team has going into the season…
“I think the number one thing is that guys want to come up. Guys know the rules and what’s expected of them. They’re not running around like young players and trying to figure out where they fit in, so now guys will start to just play.”

On return of Pat Kuntz to the team…
“We talk about how we both are hungry and have the same goal to right the ship, so it will be exciting for the team.”

Senior WR David Grimes
On coming into camp this season…
“We have to get out to a fast start as soon as we step onto the field and come out of the gate going full speed.”

On being a captain…
“It’s an honor and I am grateful to be a captain. It adds a lot of responsibility and pressure but I just have to be a teacher to the younger guys so they can look up to me and come to me when they need help.”

On what makes him a good receiver…
“I run precise routes, my speed, I get in there and block and though I’m small I’m a lot stronger than people give me credit for.”

On how Clausen has improved…
“He is a lot stronger and he is throwing the ball with a lot of force and a lot of zip and his confidence has grown.”

On the competition that the young players bring…
“The young guys are keeping the older guys on their toes, they are looking real good but they still have a lot to learn and the older guys are willing to help teach them.”

Senior DB Terrail Lambert
On how he feels about his experience and passing it on to the younger guys…
“I think it will help them a lot in the sense that the insight that I have gained over the years I can pass it on to the younger guys and there is a lot of optimism going into 2008 because there are so many young bodies and I feel that the sky is the limit for us and for their futures.”

On being a leader on this team as a fifth-year senior…
“I don’t think its always so important to be the loud vocal leader, I am more of a quiet and reserved leader and like to lead by example. I like to pull the younger players off to the side and help them or teach them and keep it between us rather then to talk to them in front of everyone or yell at them. We have a group of young guys and in order for us to get off to that fast start we all need to be on the page and any knowledge or insight I can give to them I will.”

About the depth in the secondary…
“I think the nature of how we practice and how we are as teammates, everything is always competitive and competition is always healthy for a team and I think it brings us closer together. Just to know that everyone is going to be striving for a common goal and as a cohesive unit that is something to be excited about and I think that is something that will be a microcosm for us, not just on the football field, but it will roll over to the classrooms or into personal life’s if we have good practices day after day and it will make us better.”

On the improvement the secondary will continue to make heading into this season…
“I anticipate everything will be very competitive, everyone in our unit are hard workers. We have good leadership with David Bruton and myself, as well as people at other positions who can give insight to the young guys if they need it. We all believe in coach Weis, coach Brown and all the assistant coaches and we are all coming together as a cohesive unit and its makes things very exciting.”

On the aggressive style of defensive coaches leading to a more aggressive style of play…
“Most definitely we will be more aggressive. That is the plan, with coach Brown’s philosophy to go out with no thinking, go on about your business and just play and have fun, play lights out and play to the whistle.”

Senior FB Asaph Schwapp
What do you think the strength of your offense is with you having just about everyone back?
“That’s what were going to find out in training camp in the next couple of weeks everyone’s back everyone’s healthy and were looking to have some fun.”

Does what you do change depending on who is standing behind you whether it’s a stronger or faster running back?
“All of that stuff isn’t relevant to me. My job stays the same. I do my job.”

How has Jimmy [Clausen] grown since last season?
“He’s running the offense a lot better. Guys look at him like more of a leader now and that’s what we need in our quarterback.”

Any personal goals this year?
“Personal goals this year — just to win. Do what ever it takes to win. Win at all costs.”

Offensively, how are you going to be better and how can you be better?
“I guess we will find out in training camp what were good at and what were not.”

What does “Dive Right In” mean to you?
“It means no excuses. Go ahead and do what you have to do. Just get in there and don’t hold anything back. Give it all you got.”

Senior DE Pat Kuntz
On his new half-mullet haircut…
“I had it grown out for a long time and was getting too hot. So I had to trim it off a bit. Coach (Weis) doesn’t like it, but I like it, so we’ll see how it goes.”

On returning to the team after missing spring practice…
“It feels awesome, especially just these first couple of days of camp. I realized what I’ve missed this past spring – and not just being around the guys all the time and stuff like that. It’s really good to be back and I’m excited for the season to get going.”

On what he learned about himself after missing spring practice…
“Basically, there are going to be bumps in the road and you have to be ready to over them. No matter what the odds are against you, keep fighting and do what you have to do to get on track.”

On coming into the preseason in better shape than the end of the 2007 campaign…
“I weighed in at 288 a couple of days ago. I’ve gained some good weight – that’s the important thing. A lot less body fat and I can move around a little better.”

On moving from nose tackle to defensive end…
“Last year playing nose tackle was different for me since I was smaller. But with this new position I can do a lot more damage and have more pace to move around a lot more with stunts and everything like that.”

Sophomore QB Jimmy Clausen
On getting the 2008 season started…
“I’m really excited. I can’t wait to get on the field today. All the guys are ready to go and just can’t wait to get started.”

On his health and strength…
“I feel great right now. I’m 100 percent. I feel a lot stronger than I did last year and just ready to go.”

On having more freedom from the line of scrimmage…
“I feel great about that. Obviously, he (Coach Weis) has confidence in me and my knowledge of the system has gotten a lot better than last year. I’m trying to work on getting everything down in the playbook, the little nuances. That’s going to help this season.”

Senior FS David Bruton
On how the Irish will meet their goals this season…
“We just have to put the effort into practice, whether it one-a-days, two-a-days, team meetings, as well. You have to study the playbook. You have to do the little things to be the best.”

On this year’s team coming together…
“We’ve seen how well we gelled in the spring. We’ve got a lot of cohesion throughout the whole team. There are not really any cliques. I feel it’s just going to keep carrying on. It carried on through the summer. It’s going to keep carrying on through camp. We’re not really worried about anything not coming together. We all feel as though we’re going to make it work and make it right.”

On being a captain…
“I’m just going to do what I do. Try to lead by example, be a little more vocal. Do everything that I’ve been doing in the past to get myself to this point, but I’ve got to take on more responsibilities over the whole team, not just myself or the secondary.”

On being a senior…
“It’s the last go-around. It’s the last hoorah and you want to make it your most memorable one. You want to leave a legacy behind and that’s what I’m shooting for.”

On what the “Dive Right In” idea means to him…
“To me, personally, it means no second guessing. Buy into the program; buy into what they’re saying. I believe that everything the coaches put us through, whether it’s positive or negative, whether it’s heaven or hell, it’s going to benefit us in some way.”

Junior OT Sam Young
On getting game experience for the whole line…
“It’s great to have game experience. The other thing is in spring everyone is working together and the unit made tremendous strides during that period not to mention winter everyone working together and then this summer everyone put in a lot of hours to get better.”

On leadership for the offensive line…
“As far as leadership, the great thing about what has happened in the offseason we don’t have just one guy on the offensive line we have the offensive line because no one is going to be perfect everyday so when that day happens someone will be there as a “pick-me-up.”

On the importance of a quick start…
“I think it’s important because we have done so much already as far as getting ready and now it’s time to put into practice. You talk about winter conditioning, you talk about spring ball where I think we had a really good spring and then the summer everyone is putting in hours and working their rear ends off and it’s time to get going.”