Arizona Cardinals -1- Jueves 29/1/09

Super Bowl XLIII – Thursday, January 29, 2009

QUOTES FROM ARIZONA CARDINALS PRESS CONFERENCE


LB MONTY BEISEL

(on playing against a mobile quarterback with Ben Roethlisberger) “It definitely presents a lot of challenges for a defense, not only his mobility but his size as well, and how he’s able to move about the pocket and shrug guys off. It’s definitely going to take a heavy attack from both sides of the ball, as well as the linebackers. The big thing is not so much what he can do outside of the pocket, but his movement inside the tackles, and once we get our hands on him, just actually bringing him down.”


(on whether he’s played against any other quarterbacks who are as large and mobile as Roethlisberger) “Donovan McNabb, right off the top of my head. He’s probably one of the most mobile and toughest quarterbacks we played this year. That’s kind of (who) we’re equating Ben to with his mobility.”


(on whether this week feels like a normal work week) “You know, it does after we leave here. Once we get over to the facility and get back in the meeting rooms, everything has come back to us. But it’s nice to just get back out on the field and get back to what we do best. Like (everyone) said, once the week got here, it was going to go fast. It’s going fast. We’ve got a few days left to get prepared and we’re going to try to make the most of our opportunity.”


(on how he’s able to keep this week in perspective) “I’ve tried to keep my week as close to what I would do when I was at home. Yesterday, the first thing I did as soon as I got back from practice was I took my daily nap. I was a little tired from waking up early, being over there all day. So I just got my nap, got a little dinner, and didn’t do anything too crazy. Hopefully a lot of the guys are doing the same, just keeping it pretty low key, and by the time Sunday gets here, we’ll have lots of energy and be full force.”


(on what it means to him to be playing in the Super Bowl this year) “It means a lot. (When) you grow up, (even) if you didn’t watch one game all year, you definitely watch this game. I know, being my eighth year in the league, I haven’t been here one time. I’ve watched it for the past eight seasons. You always sit there on Super Bowl Sunday and say, ‘Maybe next year.’ It’s finally come. I think it’s one of those things where, as you go through it, everything kind of falls into place. I think it’s something you really don’t fully understand and fully appreciate until maybe it’s all over, when you can actually sit back and reflect.”


(on how the team feels in the underdog role and whether he feels as if he has something to prove) “I think we’ve felt like we’ve had something to prove all season. The Cardinals as an organization are kind of the underdog, the way we look at it. We love taking on that underdog role. We’ve been underdogs throughout the whole playoffs. I think we’ve really risen to the occasion and taken advantage of that role.”



DE BERTRAND BERRY

(on what has not yet been asked this week) “No one has asked me if we can win this game.”


(on if he thinks they can win then) “Yes. I am confident that we can win, if we go out and do what we need to do. If we execute our game plan a little bit better than they do, then I feel we have just as good a shot as anybody of winning this.”


(on how he feels the focus has been of the team this week) “I thought it was pretty good. We went out on the field for the first time yesterday and I felt the concentration level was pretty high. Guys really paid attention to details, and it was a crisp practice. There were not very many mistakes or mental errors. You always want to have that going into the game – you want to have guys peaking at the right time, concentrating at the right time, and not distracted by what is going on around them, and I think the team did a great job of that yesterday.”


(on if it was good to get back to practice) “Yes, it felt good to get back to normal. Obviously with everything that goes on with Super Bowl week – there are a lot of commitments with media, and appearances and things of that nature – but this is a football game and the closer you can get to the game and the more of a regular routine you can get to, the more comfortable guys will feel. It’s really a matter of us getting back to what we do during a normal game week and treating this more and more like a game as opposed to a spectacle, which it is for other people.”


(on what this year has been like for him, considering the start of the season when he lost his starting job) “It’s been gratifying because it’s been my most successful season in terms of the team. I’ve never been on a team that has gotten to this point. For me to overcome the last couple of seasons and all of the injuries and to be productive again, it felt really good. Obviously I would have liked to have played a lot more, but I made the most of the time that I had. That’s all you can do as a football player – take advantage of any opportunity you are given and when your number is called, perform. That’s what I was able to do and I’m very proud of that. The fact that my team is in the Super Bowl is the most important thing, regardless of individual success or individual gains. This is a team sport, and my team has a chance to be the best team in the world this year, and that’s something that I will relish forever. Hopefully we will put in the time, the effort and the work these next couple of days and then go out there on Sunday and earn it.”


(on having defensive end Travis LaBoy back in the defensive rotation) “It gives us more of our normal rotation that we had at the beginning of the year, when I think we were playing our best defense. When you have multiple guys who can go out there and do the job, it definitely takes the pressure of the guys who are out there. They know they can go 100 percent knowing that the next guy is going to come in and do the same thing. The more bodies we have out there that we can throw at the Steelers, the better our chances are. Travis has played great for us when he’s been healthy and we are going to need him to come in and contribute as much as he can for this game, because you need all hands on deck at this point. You want to have all of your weapons available going into the biggest game of the year.”


(on how the week has been) “So far, so good. For me, I look forward to the game, but I understand the things with the media and the appearances come along with it. But at the same time, it can be a little overwhelming. For me, I’m most concerned about the game on Sunday and preparing for that and everything else is pretty much icing on the cake. I’m going to take it for what it’s worth, but at the same time, my focus is on the game.”


(on the postseason roll for the Cardinals and if he feels they have one more left in them) “Absolutely. When you get to this point, there are really no excuses. Both teams have had a tough road to get to this point, and a tough stretch of playing and beating some very good football teams. That’s what happens in the playoffs – all of the teams are good. We feel like with one game left on the table, you can muster up whatever energy and focus you have left and go get this thing done. I believe our guys have more than enough to do that; it’s just a matter of going out and executing and doing what we need to do to win this football game.”


(on if stopping Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, receiver Hines Ward and running back Willie Parker are the main keys to this game) “Well when you think about the Pittsburgh Steelers offense, those guys obviously play a prominent role. When you think about the playmakers, first it starts with Ben. He’s the quarterback, and he has the ball in his hands. He’s going to affect the outcome of the game more than anybody. You think about Willie Parker, the Steelers have always wanted to be a team that can run the ball. He’s an explosive runner for those guys. He’s a homerun hitter any time he has his hands on the ball. The consummate pro is Hines. He’s the heart and soul of the team, I believe, with his toughness and the way that he plays the game. So, we have our hands full. They have a lot of weapons, and you can’t forget Heath Miller on the outside, or Santonio Holmes. They have a lot of weapons for Ben to pass the ball around to, so it’s going to be important that we play with a lot of energy out there and that we fly around the field and get a lot of guys to the ball carrier, and try to get some pressure on Ben as best we can.”


(on Steelers running back Gary Russell also being a factor) “He’s playing really well. Whenever he’s gotten an opportunity, he’s shown that he can make plays in this league. Again, their weapons are numerous. When you think about a Super Bowl caliber team, they are going to have a lot of different weapons and a lot of ways to attack a defense. Pittsburgh is no different. Their second level guys might not be as known, but they are definitely productive. They caught our eye in the film room, so we are going to treat everybody with respect and whoever is on the field, we are going to try to tackle him as best as we can.”


(on Steelers tackle Max Starks giving up a lot of sacks in the game against the Ravens and if that raises his antenna since he’ll be going up against him) “Sometimes you have good games and sometimes you have bad games. That’s just the nature of the business. We are all professionals and we all have a job to do. Sometimes you have days where you feel like you can do no wrong, and then you have days where you feel you can’t do anything right. I’m sure he just had a tough day that day, but that was two weeks ago and I’m sure he’s forgotten about it by now. When you see things that they do, you try to do things that you know will be successful against them, but there are no guarantees. You just prepare as hard as you can, and hope that what you prepare is enough to be successful. We are no different. We know who they are, and we know who we are. It comes down to execution. If we put in enough time and study the film and have a good feel for what we want to do from a defensive standpoint, then hopefully we will have a good day.


(on what Saturday night will be like for him) “I know exactly what it’s going to be like. It’s going to be dinner with my family who is coming in. It’s going to be really quiet for myself, which is what I always do the night before a game. I’m sure there will be a lot of time spent in prayer, just me and the man upstairs, and me asking him to watch over me and my team. I go over last minute details in my head and make sure I’m up to speed with everything we are trying to do from a defensive standpoint, what my role is and what those particular calls are. Then, I’ll try to get a good night’s sleep because it’s going to be a long game Sunday and I’m sure I’m going to need a lot of energy out there to get this thing done.”


(on if this could be his last year in his twelfth season) “Oh no, absolutely not. I have no intentions of the ‘R’ word (retirement). I can’t even say that word. I have no plans of slowing down whatsoever. I really feel like I am just getting started. This is the second wind of my career.”



PRESIDENT MICHAEL BIDWELL

(on what it means to him and his father, team owner Bill Bidwell, for the Cardinals to be in the Super Bowl) “A year ago, we felt like we had a good team, and we hosted the game in Arizona. Dad and I had many conversations about how we feel like we’ve got the talent on the field that if we can keep everybody performing at the high level that they’re capable of, we have the chance to win any game. So if we do that, we stay focused, we get it done. So throughout this year, we had a great draft, we felt like we filled some holes in free agency, the players got their second year in the offseason training program. We felt we could really build on the 8-8 season that we had in 2007. Coming into training camp, Coach (Ken Whisenhunt) made some difficult decisions, including the decision to start Kurt Warner and other decisions including benching Edgerrin James. Those decisions turned out to be the right decisions. What we really did was made sure that the players knew they were going to be accountable to perform and to put in the work throughout the week and not make mistakes. He wasn’t afraid to bench somebody, and they understand that. That helps motivate them to play at a high level. And throughout the season, I realized that we had a chance to be a playoff team. I think everybody did. The question was how far we were going to go. I knew Coach wasn’t going to let us down. In the locker room after we were defeated in New England in Week 15 by a pretty large margin, he told me that he wouldn’t let this happen again, and we haven’t lost a game since then. He’s been really focused on keeping the players focused and keeping their foot to the metal.”


(on bringing in Warner when many had written him off and the experience and leadership he brings) “We believed in Kurt. When he came to us in 2005, we knew he still had arm strength. We knew he could still play. We felt like, if we could protect him and give him a little bit of time to get rid of the ball a little earlier, we had one hell of a chance to see Kurt be back at the top form of his career. And that’s exactly what he’s done. We’ve got the receiver talent. We recognized that back when we signed him, and he recognized that. All we needed to do was work on protection and playing defense, and we had the chance to be a pretty good football team.”


(on how important University of Phoenix Stadium has been in giving a boost to the organization) “University of Phoenix Stadium is the cornerstone of our success. It’s given us the revenue and the home field advantage. Playing for 18 years at Sun Devil Stadium, it was an open-air college stadium. Playing in the desert in the extreme heat was really tough, and our fans wouldn’t come to the games because it was too hot. But having an air-conditioned, domed stadium that’s state-of-the-art, we’ve sold out all 32 games that we’ve had there. It’s been exciting. The fans love it, and it’s also given us an identity and a home with deep roots in Arizona. I think that’s helped us not only financially, but also with the home field advantage and giving our fans a place that they feel proud of. It’s part of our organization now, and it’s also given us deep roots in the community and it’s an excellent community.”


(on the Cardinals path into the playoffs) “We had some success early. When we clinched, we took a couple games off and our players lost their focus for a few weeks. I think there was some skepticism that we might be a one-and-done team. Then towards the end of the season after our game in New England against the Patriots – we had gotten beat badly – Coach really got on the players and made them understand that we have the opportunity. We have the talent, if we work hard week in and week out and play as a team and not make mistakes and stay focused and disciplined during our games, that we can win every game. And that’s what we’ve done as we’ve gone through the postseason, and it’s been exciting. So the whole organization is enthused. We proud of the way the players have performed. It’s really been exciting.”


(on if the 1947 championship team comes up in conversations with his dad) “It does, but he talks more about the ’48 game because that’s the one we lost. It’s always the games you lose that you sort of focus on, and he felt like there was a blizzard that day and they should’ve moved the game back to Monday. They didn’t. The commissioner decided to keep it on that day, and we felt like that was a factor in the game. So he talks more about that. But the ’47 game, there’s no doubt that it’s something that is close to his heart.”


(on if he has allowed himself to dream about winning the Super Bowl) “For me, one of my lifelong dreams is to watch my dad hold up a trophy. To watch him two Sundays ago hold up the George Halas Trophy (given to the NFC Champions) fulfilled one of those dreams, and I’d like to see him hold up another trophy. I’m hoping that we can take that next step this Sunday.”


(on the depth of Arizona’s wide receiver position group) “I’ll be emphatic, I think that our wide receiving group is the top one in the National Football League right now. In 2008, we were the only team to have three 1,000-yard receivers. They’ve done a terrific job. I’m really proud of our young guys, particularly Steve Breaston. He came in and filled a role and worked hard in the offseason. He was another guy that committed himself to the offseason training program and did a heck of a job. He came in and filled a role when Anquan Boldin got hurt, and he did a very good job. He plays tough. He plays hard. He follows his coaches. He’s a very humble guy. He was very respectful for Anquan’s role on the team. He wanted to go in there and try to fill his shoes, but he wasn’t trying to take Anquan’s spot.”


(on the defense stepping up in the playoffs) “I think our defense has done a terrific job of really getting focused and stopping the run, in particular against some of these great rushing offenses we’ve gone against. The Carolina Panthers, the Atlanta Falcons and the Philadelphia Eagles can all run the ball, and our defense has done terrific. The Cardinals have the fortune right now to be playing our best football at the right time, and our defense has been a big part of that. Our offense has been explosive throughout the year, particularly with throwing the ball around, but we’ve done two things during the playoffs that we haven’t been able to consistently do through the season. One is stopping the run on defense, and two is run the football on offense.”


(on how QB Matt Leinart is doing in his current role) “We have a luxury that few NFL teams have. We have two great quarterbacks. You can look at the New England Patriots of 2008 and the Matt Cassel luxury that they had when Tom Brady went down, and you can look at the San Francisco 49ers when Joe Montana was starting and he was backed up by Steve Young. It’s a great tandem that we have. I think Matt has got his role in our organization right now, and he has done a great job. I think he’s going to look back, and we’re all going to look back, at this time and realize he learned a lot while he had this position, and he learned under a terrific player and a terrific person. I think it’ll carry well for Matt in his future, both on the field and off the field, because Kurt Warner is a terrific role model as a football player and a quarterback, but also as a person.”


(on matching the physicality of the Steelers) “All you’ve got to do is watch our receivers to see if we’re a physical team or not. Larry Fitzgerald is playing much more physical than he has at any point in his career. He’s really taken his game to a new level, which I think is really admirable especially after getting the new contract. He’s playing his best football after his big contract, which you don’t see often in sports. I think you look at our other receiver, Anquan Boldin, he plays tough, too. I think our whole football team plays very tough, and that started in 2007. We may not have gotten as much credit for it in the past because we hadn’t been in the Super Bowl yet. But this football team – we heard it from opposing teams, including games that we were not successful in during 2007 – we’d hear back from folks that they understood the Cardinals are a much different team than they used to be.”



WR ANQUAN BOLDIN

(on the 24 hours leading up to the Super Bowl) “For me, it’ll be the same as any other game: just trying to get rest. I think that’s the most important thing the day before the game, trying to stay off your feet, probably going over your game plan one more time to keep everything fresh in your memory. I think the most important thing is to get rest and down here in Florida, to stay hydrated.”


(on whether this week has been different than others) “We’ve kept everything normal: practice schedules, meetings, the way we install. Everything has been like a typical week.”


(on whether someone on the Cardinals offense could potentially step up and be the MVP) “I mean, there’s a number of guys that could coin the MVP trophy. We have a number of guys that are capable of having a big day at any time, so it can go to anybody.”


(on how he would describe the Cardinals as a team) “We do whatever it takes to win. That’s the way we’ve seen ourselves all year, no matter what that entails.”


(on the large number of NFL players who have come from the high school system in Florida) “There have been. You can see it in a lot of the players. There’s just a different swagger. It’s probably because of the level of football down here in high school. It’s a high level. They seem to have that swagger about them.”


(on the best player he faced in high school) “I played against Travis Henry in high school, the year he went for 4,000 yards. We played him in the playoffs. He’s definitely one of the better players I’ve seen in high school.”


(on whether a smaller wide receiver can be as effective as a larger one) “I guess it depends on your offense. I definitely think that you need a guy that, when the game’s on the line, you can go to and count on. But I think it all depends on your offense as well.”


(on whether the titles of “number one” and “number two” receiver are overrated) “I think so. On a football team, I think everybody knows their role. When your number is called, you just have to make plays no matter what. People might say you’re the number one or number two or number three receiver. What does that mean? Like I said, we have a number of guys on our team that make plays. So I don’t see a guy as a number one or a number two, I just see him as a reliable receiver, and whenever their number is called, they make plays.”


(on how his faith affects the team) “Well, we feel like that’s one of the reasons that we’re here: our faith, our belief, and just putting everything in the right perspective. We have our weekly Bible studies, and from that, (we) learn a lot, not only about football, but about ourselves and our lives period. We definitely feel like that’s one of the reasons that we’re here.”


(on being a good teammate) “You always have to be available to anybody who wants to talk. I think there’s different people out there that see different things. They probably don’t know quite what it is, but they say, ‘There’s something about that guy.’ I feel that you always have to be approachable. You always have to be willing to talk to people.”


(on Steven Breaston making a name for himself this season) “Steve has come a long way. When he first got drafted, I think they brought him in as a return guy. I think his dreams and aspirations were a lot bigger than that. He wanted to be a great receiver in this league, and he’s watched some of the guys on the team: how they work, how they prepare. He was intrigued that they wanted the same thing. He asked for a lot of advice, and he was given it, and he took it and ran with it.”


(on Kurt Warner) “I think Kurt is just a great guy on and off the field. Football aside, the way we’ve seen him deal with different situations, he’s a unique character. He has great character. He has great perseverance. He brings a lot to the table.”


(on the level of intensity on the sidelines during a football game) “If you haven’t played this game, I don’t really think you can understand the intensity level that goes on in a game, or during a game, or on the sidelines. But I think the best thing about it is, everybody on the sidelines, they have one common goal, and that’s to win. Even though you may have some disputes or arguments on the sideline, when it’s all said and done, you guys are on the same page and it’s forgotten about.”


(on how it would feel to win the Super Bowl) “For me, winning the Super Bowl will be really gratifying. We’ve been through a lot of ups and downs as a team. I’ve been here six years, and it’s taken a long time to get to this point—not even the Super Bowl, but to the playoffs alone. So it’s been a difficult journey but I wouldn’t change anything about it. I think that’s what makes it special.”


(on whether people will view the Cardinals differently if they win the Super Bowl) “I honestly don’t know. I’m not sure how people would see us if we won the Super Bowl. The only thing I’m worried about is winning the Super Bowl. They can think whatever they want, but you can’t take a Super Bowl ring away from us. No matter how people view us—as the best Super Bowl team or the worst Super Bowl team—it really wouldn’t matter.”


(on whether the media obligations he has are exhausting or if he’s still having fun with it) “It’s something that I embrace. I mean, trust me: there’s thirty other teams that would rather be sitting in my position than to be at home watching it every day. So even though it’s a process, we’re making the most of it.”


(on the fans’ support of the Cardinals) “The fan support for us has been great, especially in the Phoenix area. I think anybody who’s been around that area feels the buzz in the area. The fans have been great to us the entire year. You can’t go out in the public right now without being mobbed, which is a great thing. It’s something that the community deserves. They haven’t had it in a number of years, so we’re glad to be able to give it to them.”


(on whether he’s able to put this experience of Super Bowl week into perspective) “Well, it really hasn’t sunk in yet. Honestly, I’m just trying not to take time to reflect on it right now. I just want to embrace the entire process and make the most of it, and when it’s all said and done, then I’ll be able to look back and take a view from that angle.”



RUNNING BACKS COACH MAURICE CARTHON

(on working with the running back in preparation for the Pittsburgh Steelers)
“The Steelers are the No. 1 defense in the National Football League for a reason. Dick LeBeau has a history and everybody knows what it is and he’s going to blitz and bring them from everywhere. We have to work on our protection and make sure we can protect our quarterback and make some plays down the field. We have to be in the right situation at the right time and block the right guys. Pretty much all season we’ve been through it, playing Philadelphia, Atlanta and Carolina in the playoffs. Our guys have done a good job of protecting so far. We just have to continue to do it, especially in this game.”


(on the one two punch of Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower)
“I’ve been blessed most of my coaching career to have coached guys like Edgerrin James and Curtis Martin and Tim Hightower, who has done a tremendous job being a young guy. This time last year, he wasn’t at the Combine and nobody heard of him. I went to Virginia directly after the combine to Richmond and worked him out and liked him. Our scouting department had good grades on him and liked him too. We ended up drafting him and to have a guy veteran like Edgerrin up, that was huge. He has proven himself and should be a Hall of Fame running back, and to have him mentor Tim into his rookie year has been great for me. He’s really coached Tim and got him through the times when he hit the rookie wall and all those things. Edgerrin had really helped him. I’ve been blessed to have those two guys playing for me and enjoyed it thus far. I’m happy for Edgerrin to get to this situation. I felt bad for him when I first got here and the Colts had gone to the Super Bowl after he left. I felt bad for him them, but I told him this should motivate you to get there. Coming through this season and the things that happened to him, then at the end of the season, we needed him. He’s a veteran guy and has been there and he’s delivered for us. I couldn’t be happier for Edge than anybody.”


(on his coaching mentors through his career)
“Quite naturally that list could go on and on. Bill Parcells was instrumental in me coaching. You would think that when I was a player, Bill and I would get to the stadium early and he would always talk to me about what I would do after football. I told him I wanted to coach in high school or college. It didn’t matter because I loved the game. He was like, try to coach in this league if you can. When I finally retired after my last year in the league and I was with the Colts, he called me a year later after the Combine to come to camp and I told him I wasn’t ready yet. Then he called me a year later and I went to training camp and been coaching for 15 years because of him. Learning from him and being on the staff as a player and a coach with Bill Belichick was tremendous and huge. Watching how those guys were tireless workers I found out that’s why these guys were successful and guys that were under them were successful because they laid the foundation. I learned from Dan Henning who I thought was a really good offensive coach. I learned from him at the Jets. Those guys were tremendous for me in bringing me along as a coach. I think the big thing for me was I started at the bottom and worked my way to the top. I started coaching and helping on special teams and then I helped with the running backs. Then I became a backfield coach and then I became assistant head coach. Then I became coordinator and if I had to do it all over again, I’d do it exactly the same because you get to learn more and you get to see more and you get to learn how to manage the game and the team and those experiences were good for me.”



DT DARNELL DOCKETT

(on what key players to stop on the Steelers team) “It’s not about stopping one key player on the team. They have a team loaded with a lot of threats. When you go out there, you have to be able to play against everybody not just 1 or 2 guys. You have to play team collective defense. Special teams are going to play a huge part in this game.”


(on how many turnovers the Cardinals should force to win the game) “I don’t really know, I haven’t really thought about it. I hope we can get a lot of them. Any time we can put our offense on the field, that’s a plus for us. I’m sure they’re going to try and keep our offense off the field too. It’s going to be one of those games. We have to capitalize on every opportunity, every play, and every chance we got to get our hands on the ball. This isn’t the kind of game where you see a fumble on the ground and think that your teammate is going to get it. You better dive on the ground and go get it, there better be 5 or 6 players on the ground going after it. It’s going to come down to just 60 minutes, turnovers, field position, and who can last longer.”


(on how the Cardinals can get to Roethlisberger) “I think we can get to him by playing the game, by attacking. That offensive line is not going to let you get to him, you have to win the battles and play physical. When you get there, you have to wrap him up, that’s the most important part. Sometimes guys have free sacks right to him and he’ll spin off. As big of a target as he is, you would think that he would be easy to take down but he’s not. You have to find a way to get him down.”


(on how he feels about building a successful team) “I think that times have changed. You have to pay players these days to keep them on the team, make them show up for off-season workouts, and keep them around. Doing everything they can to win games, staying late after practice, meeting early before practices, and hopefully be rewarded for it.”


(on how the Cardinals will keep the team together) “With all the guys that have to be re-signed you never know. They can do it. I heard they have the money, so hopefully they do it.


(on the public’s perception of the style of the Cardinals) “That’s what the public eye thinks so that’s their opinion; I learned that 90% of the public have never played football a day in their life. I learned that the public eye has one or two guys that would probably get picked up for a flag football. The public eye doesn’t watch football, they watch highlights. You can deny from a physical aspect, but don’t let the public eye fool you, we can do some things. I don’t think that Pittsburgh is in the trash talking mode or anything like that. I have a lot of respect for their players; they’ve been a winning program. That team is good but as far as physical, it’s the NFL, everyone is physical.


(on no trash talking during this week between the teams) “That’s a respect for each team. These are two mature teams, you don’t have to trash talk to get ready to play the game. You don’t have to talk trash about another team to make yourself feel better or confident, everyone knows that this is going to be a good game. We know that everybody has their work cut out, we have our work cut out for us and they have their work cut out for them. There’s a mutual respect, you talk your trash on Sunday. It’s right around the corner, you can save all your trash talking. Nobody’s buying into that. I’m going to work every day, practice like I’m playing anybody else, and learning what I need to do at a high level.


(on coming back to Florida to play in the Super Bowl) “I love the weather. I actually like the Arizona weather a little better but this weather’s pretty good-that’s probably the best thing about it. My coaches from college will be down here so I’m really excited. To have a chance to be down by the water, enjoy it, and chill out.”