Arizona Cardinals -3- Jueves 29/1/09

Super Bowl XLIII – Thursday, January 29, 2009

QUOTES FROM ARIZONA CARDINALS PRESS CONFERENCE


CB DOMINIQUE RODGERS-CROMARTIE

(on being back in Florida for the Super Bowl) “I would say it is like a homecoming celebration. Coming back here after not being here in a long time, it’s just an honor to be back and a blessing.”


(on why it took so long for people to discover you) “It was just the situation and the atmosphere that I was put in. I tried to leave home to spend time with my father and get to know him. In Orlando, which is a bigger city, it’s hard to get looked at. It’s hard to come on to someone’s team, coming where I was coming from. I just didn’t get an opportunity to get on the field as much. I made an immediate impact my senior year as soon as I got on the field and I think that is what got me looked at.”


(on how long it took to become a star player in high school) “I was never a star player in high school.”


(on the opportunity to line up as a receiver in the Super Bowl) “We worked on a few plays in practice but utilizing me in the game, I think there’s a slim chance.”


(on how the week has been and expectation of the next few days) “It has been fun. It has been a fun time to get this experience so I am going to take advantage of it. I am having fun right now but as the game gets closer I will settle down and get more focused and start really, really zoning in.”


(on who are the veterans that have helped you) “Ralph Brown and Eric Green, those two guys. Ralph Brown, during camp, would make me stay after practice with him and work on footwork and do drills with him. Eric Green is the one who really taught me how to study a receiver and he calls out routes to me and I called them back out to him.”


(on why Eric became your mentor) “Maybe he saw something in me that a lot of people didn’t. The potential that I have or what I could be as a football player. I think he is trying to make me a better player. ”


(on how much do you believe in yourself) “I am very confident now. I still have my mistakes and a lot to learn but with the experience, I have gained confidence.”


(on his relationship with his father) “It’s a choice I made. Growing up I didn’t see him much because he was out of town. He was a college coach, always on the road recruiting, so I was really raised by my mother. When he moved back into the state, I felt that was the time for me to get to know him. I was in the ninth grade.”


(on what Coach Whisenhunt did to get him to buy into the program) “Every meeting he stayed on us. He wasn’t going to let us slack off. Sometimes, when you do have a good week, he would let us take our pads off but if we are not working hard, he would make us go back and put them on. He is a coach that always stays on us and is always talking about believing in team and not pointing a finger, offense helping D and D helping O. From the get go we have had a good time. We really came together in camp as far as a team.”


(on comparing himself to his cousin Chargers CB Antonio Cromartie) “I’ve never compared us. I had an idea that I would be in the NFL but I didn’t know how high I was going to go or how I was going to get there but that is just something I never did.”


(on proving himself to the team) “That’s how I felt coming from a small school. I was saying, it’s going to be some people out saying this and that, especially with me going in the first round from a small school. I had a chip on my shoulder and I said I have another obstacle to get over. Even going into this game, I’ve made a few plays here and there but I don’t think I have really made my statement yet. I am still so young and I still have a lot to learn. Once I grasp all that, it is going to be a different story.”


(on being a self-proclaimed goofy guy) “I like to have fun. I am going to make somebody laugh if I feel the atmosphere is kind of down and quiet.”


(on Santonio Holmes’ comment on double coverage needed against him) “That is how he feels. I understand why he feels that way. He is a big play guy but they gave me that assignment and I am really going to zone in and focus.”


(on if being so close to home is a distraction) “To me, it is just like any other week when we go out of town. It’s not my home stadium. I stay 30 minutes down the street but I can’t go anywhere. I don’t have a car. I’m not affected by it. My family understands why I am down here and they are not calling me and bugging me.”


(on having the time to spend with family this week) “Tuesday was our off day so I went home for a little bit. I just sat in the house with them. We just sat there and talked, watched TV and reminisced a little bit.”


(on the number of people he had to say no to about tickets) “I stopped counting. There are a lot of people I had to say no to. I am still finding myself having to say no today. We could only get up to 15 tickets.”


(on how much fun he will have walking on the field Sunday) “I am going to have a lot of fun. I am going to be real focused and zoned in on the game, but at the same time, I am going to be out there laughing, smiling and talking.”


(on the curfew enforced this week) “Normally we don’t have a curfew until Saturday but they started early because they want everybody to be focused. I can understand that. If you are going to party, just wait until after the game. It’s no big deal.”


(on his anticipation of Sunday morning) “When I wake up on Sunday, it is going to be a thinking day for me. Before that game starts, I’m going to think about my life and what I have gone through and just build up some motivation and go out there and play.”


(on coming from where he was to now) “It is real crazy. The things that have happened to me, it just doesn’t happen to a lot of people. I’m very blessed. I just keep on pushing. I’ve always felt if I stayed grounded, stayed humble, and just kept on praying, my opportunity would present itself. That is how I have been all of my life.”


(on faith) “I think faith gets me a long way. One thing I learned growing up living with my grandmother and her raising me, she always told me to keep God first in everything I do.”


(on who is God to him) “A father, a friend. Someone who if I can’t call on anyone else, I can call on him. He will always listen to me. Sometimes that gets me through the day and I give Him all of the praise.”


(on why he given the talent he has) “I was a child who stayed faithful and did the right things for the most part. I believe the Lord blessed me for that. Growing up, I wasn’t one of those kids running the streets doing this and that even though I was in that atmosphere. My momma kept me in the house.”



QB KURT WARNER

(on his mindset when he was placed on the expansion draft list earlier in his career) “I didn’t blame the team when that happened. I remember the situation. I was just trying to make it. With the situation and how it transpired, some of the guys on the team had to be put on the expansion draft. Obviously where I was and where I came from, it didn’t surprise me that I was on it and it didn’t surprise me that I wasn’t picked by anybody during the expansion draft. I think it kind of was what it was and I understood why the (St. Louis) Rams would do it at the time and really didn’t think much of it.”


(on talking to QB Matt Leinart about the quarterback situation) “Not to talk about a little bit of the early stages when the change was made or when the decision was made. We talked about embracing the situation and being able to step back a little bit from the pressure and the high expectations that came with his background and just trying to learn as much as he could from the situation and grow as much as he could because the time will come when he is going to get an opportunity. As we have seen throughout the league some places this year, guys that have waited, learned and understood that the time was going to come and were ready for when it did have done a tremendous job. Matt is going to do the same time when that time comes, whenever that is. I think sometimes he can get frustrated and kind of go off in the other direction, and we talked earlier about just staying focused and continuing to learn improvements and using it as a benefit as opposed to maybe kind of a negative.”


(on how his experience with the St. Louis Rams and New York Giants and this year’s New England Patriots game prepared him for this Super Bowl) “I think in the big picture, what I have come to learn is that we learn a lot in the ups and the downs of life. There are always things that we can learn. What I believe in is there are always things God is showing us in anything that goes on in our life. Some of those ‘products of down times’ that I have gone through, God showed me a lot and taught me a lot and prepared me for what was coming next. I remember when I got to the NFL and went to my first Super Bowl in 1999, there was no way that I would have been able to handle all of that had I not gone the route that I did through arena football, matured and grew in my faith. I wouldn’t have been able to handle that. I think the same is true. You go through some of these trials and you get back to this point, you appreciate it, you understand a little bit more, you relax and take it all in and just understand how big a hand God has in things like this and how little of a hand I have in things like this. I think those trials and those situations all taught me a lot about just stepping back and enjoying the moment that I am in for all it is worth.


“As far as this year, I know a lot of people want to point to the Patriots game, but I really point towards the end of the season. I really think when we played the Giants and played Minnesota and played Philadelphia and played New England, those are four playoff teams. I think up to that point, we weren’t really sure what it meant to be in the playoffs. A lot of guys had never been there in an organization that hadn’t been there in awhile, and I think those games shocked us a little bit on, ‘Okay, this is what we are going to face as we are going to move forward. This is what the playoffs are going to be about. It is going to be week in, week out playing good football teams that don’t make a lot of mistakes, and if you don’t come to play and you don’t commit and don’t prepare, they are going to blow you off the field.’ I think it was that stretch down towards the end of the season. We were playing those good teams, and it was kind of like a cloud moved over us and said, ‘Hey, this is what it is going to be about. These are what the teams are like in the playoffs. You better show up, and we better improve and better commit more if we are going to do something in the playoffs.’ You may look at the Patriots game as the final part of that, but what I remember is that whole stretch, because it was through that time that I had a lot of players come and talk to me. They were asking me what was going on and what we needed to do better, and it was during that stretch where we had success early, and it kind of hit these teams and they were shocking us a little bit with how bad they were beating us and how well they were playing. I think that it was then that the light bulb kind of switched on and said, ‘This is what the playoffs are going to be like. This is what it is going to be about, and it is going to be like this every single week. You better get prepared.”


(on the heaviness of his leadership responsibilities on the team) “Pressure can be a big responsibility. There is no question in this position in the game of football, you are called upon to lead and a lot of pressure is formed. I think because of the way that I have carried my life and the things that I have stood for, there comes a little pressure and responsibility that come with that. The way I always look at it is I embrace it. I embrace the opportunity to have pressure. Somebody just told me about a week about, talking about the playoffs and getting to this point, and told me a story. The quote came across that pressure is a privilege, to understand that pressure is a privilege. I think that it is a great way to put it. It is great to be in this position. Now, things can go against you and you don’t perform and you don’t do something, there is a lot of the truth being in that position, but at the same time, you embrace the idea that ‘Hey, I am in a position to make a difference for my football team and I am in a position to change the world around me because of the platform I have been given.’ I realized that a long time ago that God put me in this place particularly, and I am going to try to grab hold of that responsibility. I’ll take all the responsibility that comes with it and I am going to try to live up to what God holds me to.”


(on developing trust with WR Larry Fitzgerald throughout the season) “I think it is more than anything, I don’t know if Larry really changed. I think he has been a great receiver for a number of years and been able to make those kinds of plays for a number of years. I think the biggest thing is just me gaining more and more confidence in him. Not because of anything that he hasn’t done, but just as a quarterback sometimes you see things and the way I have always played the game, some things don’t quite look open to me. What I have come to realize is open for different guys and open for Larry is different than open for guys that I have played with in the past. Those are the things that I think I have learned through my course of time here with the Cardinals and playing with Larry and even Anquan (Boldin). It has been a transition for me to learn how to play with these guys and how to make them more successful. I think that is what it has been. The coaches have told me a little bit that sometimes to take a little more chance in a situation like this if you see this look, where maybe in the past I wouldn’t make those throws. Larry just shows you that open is different, and as long as you put it in the right spot that he is going to give us a better chance to make a play than the other team. I have gotten more confident in making some throws that I might not have made before just because of what I saw and not because of his athletic ability or what he is capable of doing.”


(on thinking about the NFL Hall of Fame) “I don’t think a lot about the hall of fame. Obviously when people talk about it or mention it to me or hear some of the speculations about it, you can’t help but think about it to some degree. What I would say is that it is what it is. I don’t make those decisions and I don’t know what all goes into making those decisions, but I am excited to be where I am at today. I wouldn’t change anything that I have done on the football field and I wouldn’t the change two situations, specifically with Arizona and St. Louis, and the part that I have been in and helping them get to the Super Bowl. If that means because there were lulls in the middle or I didn’t play enough that it affects me in the long haul, so be it. I am going to lead this team and I am going to be excited to lead this team because I have pulled through on the impression that I made on at least two organizations. To me, that is the bottom line. The reason that I got into this game and the reason I live my life is to do that. Hopefully I have done that with my teammates and I have done that with the organizations I have been in.”


(on Fitzgerald improving on the little things in his game) “The one thing is that I have been very fortunate in my career that not only have I been around guys that not only have been extremely talented, they were extremely open to working and getting better. That has been a trademark of a lot of great players that I have been around. Larry is no different. Larry has been a guy that since the first day that I got here, I knew he was talented and knew there were times that he could rest on his athleticism to be successful, but he has always looked to try to improve his game with the little things: the route runs, the understanding of coverages, the understanding of how to adjust his routes or how to adjust a defender, something that we talked about a lot over the last four years. You see each and every year -- sometimes at different times through the course of the year -- you see these things starting to click a little bit. You see him starting to get better at receiver. You see him start to be able to slow the game down, where he can actually utilize some of the things that we have talked about or some of the things the coaches are showing him or some of the releases we have done in practice. He can start using those in the game. That is the fun part, that he has been so successful at this level up to this point. I know he will continue to be successful, but he continues to work to want to be the best at his position. That is the exciting thing that for a young guy to accomplish so much. I think it is easy sometimes to just sit back and rest on what you have accomplished and the fact that you are athletic, but he hasn’t done that. He continues to work and continues to improve, and you are seeing the results of that. A microcosm of all that is what he has done here in the playoffs, but he has been doing those things year in and year out. I am just excited to see where he goes in the future, and when it is all said and done how we remember him, because he has the potential to be one of the best that have ever played this game. I am excited to sit back and watch that.”


(on what players can take from the experience of the late Pat Tillman) “Probably unfortunately, it hasn’t been talked about a whole bunch by players, because I think a lot players weren’t here when he was here and maybe don’t understand the big picture of what he brought to this organization and really what he did, not only for the organization but what it means from the bigger picture. Probably it hasn’t been discussed as much as it could have been to have the impact that it could have on our players, but I think we all recognize his presence at different times whether it be the run that they have every year, whether it be the statue that sits outside of the facility. Being a guy that has been in the league and been around, I remember when Pat made that choice and everything that followed that. There is no question that he is an inspiration for what he did or for what he stood for or for his attitude in regards to – I think sometimes we look at the NFL and NFL players, and you think about his situation and the choice that he made and I think that there are very few in the league that would make that same choice. In other words, were slow and were backward to a degree and you live in that world. To understand that he was living for a bigger purpose and went way beyond the game of football and way beyond money and the accolades that come with that, it is definitely something that I have been in that debacle and probably more so since I came here because it is more in the forefront being out here in Arizona. It is something that I appreciate and respect, and it inspires me.”


(on keeping his body fresh this far into the season) “The key is to stay on top of it all year long. I think that’s the thing I’ve learned just as I’ve gotten older, is that even getting into the off-season, I can’t take as much time off. I’ve got to try to just stay on top of it as much as I can. That’s what I’ve done the past couple of years, as far as through the season. Being a quarterback, you don’t get quite as much work running and conditioning as you would in the off-season, so I do a lot more in the mornings – a lot more cardio on my own to try to keep myself in shape. I think that’s been a huge key to being able to sustain so many hits this year and staying as fresh as possible.”


(on crediting Cardinals strength & conditioning coach John Lott for keeping his body good condition) “John’s done a great job. He’s continued to push me. I think the thing that John’s done great, too, is he understands different players. He understands that I am an old man. He understands just how much he can push me or certain routines I’ve had in the past and that I feel comfortable with, he adjusts some of the things that he does. One of the things I’ve done the past couple of years that I didn’t do most of my career is, John got me back into squatting. It’s something that I’m doing every week that I hadn’t done in the past. Like I said, I feel great at this point in time. I feel strong. My body feels good. So a lot of that could be contributed to some of that stuff.”


(on whether Lott has made him do power cleans) “I do more pulls than I do cleans, but I do a little, yeah.”


(on the impression Larry Fitzgerald has made on him) “Larry and I are, beyond the football field, really good friends. I just think he’s a great guy. He tries to do things the right way. He works hard (and) he’s humble, even though he’s had a lot of success early. I think he understands the big picture and I think he wants to be great, and all that means. So it’s been fun to work with him, especially in the beginning stages of his career, and watch him get better and better year in and year out. (I respect) the way he longs to improve on even where he’s at now. (He is) a tremendous guy. I enjoy being around him both on and off the football field, and I love competing with him.”


(on whether the outcome of Sunday’s game will affect his decision about retirement) “You know, I don’t know what’s going to be the ultimate decision or how it’s going to be determined. I know that you look at the scenarios and what could play out, and in the back of your mind you say, ‘Man, this could be a perfect scenario to leave the game.’ But what I’ve continued to realize about my career and my life is that nothing takes on a perfect scenario. What people think would be perfect doesn’t seem to work out in my situation. So the ultimate decision is, I’m going to step back and I’m going to pray about it. And I believe God’s going to show me whether He wants me to continue in this game and if He’s got more for me to accomplish, or if He’s got some other calling in my life. I think that would be the ultimate decision as much as I’ll probably try to weigh a lot of those factors, whether it be physical or whether it be career-oriented. Bottom line, end of the day, I believe God’s going to send me what He wants me to do.”


(on the most important element the Cardinals must focus on in order to beat the Steelers) “I think the most important element against this team is recognition. They do a lot of different things, they’ve got a lot of different guys that they can use in different spots. I think the key for us is going to be being able to recognize who’s who, where the blitz is coming from, who’s got to block who, who’s going to be free and when I need to get the ball out. I think that’s going to be the biggest key. If we can recognize what they’re doing and are able to handle it or attack it, we have a chance to have some success. If we don’t and they win that battle, then it could be a long day for us.”


(on his plan to get prepared on Saturday night for Sunday’s game) “One of those things is, how soon is that nervousness and anxiety going to hit you? You hope that you can prolong it as much as possible. But you know Saturday and Sunday are going to be long, that you’re going to be thinking about the game. You’re going to be restless; it’s going to be tough to get a good night’s sleep. Sunday, what I always like to do is get up and eat breakfast, then my routine is to always try to go back and take a nap, and then wake up – like if the game is at noon or 1:00 or 2:00 – so you can kind of wake up and get in your routine at that point. But again, all of those things are easier to say (and) a lot harder to do because the game’s going through your mind. So it will be just trying to hold down my emotions as much as I possibly can so that I don’t wear myself out or I don’t try to over-think what we’re doing, and I can just get into the game and play.”


(on his prediction about the player who will be the ‘X-Factor’ in the game) “Wow. You know, I would probably look at – and I say this only because you probably can’t take a group of people along the way. Nobody ever picks an offensive line or something like that, although I think offensive and defensive lines are the key. But I could see a guy like an Edgerrin James being a key. A few weeks ago he wasn’t playing and he just got back into the starting lineup. Everybody wants to talk about how we can throw the football, and Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin and those guys. He’s kind of been a quiet piece to the puzzle that has been huge for us down the stretch. So I could see where there are some scenarios where the way he plays is going to have a big impact on what happens in the game. He’s one guy. Although he has a big name, I think he would probably surprise people if he came out and had a huge game.”


(on why the Cardinals have been so successful against the blitz this season) “I think it’s a combination of a lot of things. First and foremost, I think the coaches have done a great job of putting us in positions to attack it and get the ball out of our hands. I think we’ve got play makers. The one great thing about the blitz is that you know that when they’re void in areas, if you can get the ball into your play makers’ hands, that there’s a little more space out there to make plays. We’ve got some great play-makers that do that. And I think we just have done a good job this year of understanding what teams are doing, to be able to recognize it, and get the ball out and make proper adjustments against it. I think those are all the keys to being successful against the blitz – having everybody on the same page, understanding what you need to do and how to attack it. And we’ve done a fairly good job up to this point and it’s going to be key on Sunday evening.”


(on reflecting about his year with the New York Giants) “My year with the Giants was huge. Obviously people look at (my time with) the Rams because of the level of success that we achieved. But (my year with the Giants) was huge for me because when I got released from St. Louis, I was just trying to find a home. I was trying to find somebody who would give me an opportunity to get back on the field and play. Because I knew the perception out there was a little more to the negative side or more to the fact that I couldn’t play than that I could. I’m deeply indebted to (the Giants) organization for giving me the opportunity, to Coach (Tom) Coughlin for giving me the opportunity to get back out on the field and play. Hopefully it was a win-win situation. I felt like it was a win situation for me because I was able to get back out on the field. I knew it wasn’t going to be a long tenure. I knew I was just keeping the seat warm until Eli (Manning) was ready. But I needed an opportunity to get back on the field. They gave me that and I was able to parlay that into a contract here with Arizona. I think fondly about my time with my teammates there in New York. It was fun to watch them win the championship last year. I got a chance to talk to a lot of them. I still have a great relationship with Coach Coughlin. I really appreciate the organization and what they did for me.”


(on his mindset when he was placed on the expansion draft list earlier in his career) “I didn’t blame the team when that happened. I remember the situation. I was just trying to make it. With the situation and how it transpired, some of the guys on the team had to be put on the expansion draft. Obviously where I was and where I came from, it didn’t surprise me that I was on it and it didn’t surprise me that I wasn’t picked by anybody during the expansion draft. I think it kind of was what it was and I understood why the (St. Louis) Rams would do it at the time and really didn’t think much of it.”


(on talking to QB Matt Leinart about the quarterback situation) “Not to talk about a little bit of the early stages when the change was made or when the decision was made. We talked about embracing the situation and being able to step back a little bit from the pressure and the high expectations that came with his background and just trying to learn as much as he could from the situation and grow as much as he could because the time will come when he is going to get an opportunity. As we have seen throughout the league some places this year, guys that have waited, learned and understood that the time was going to come and were ready for when it did have done a tremendous job. Matt is going to do the same time when that time comes, whenever that is. I think sometimes he can get frustrated and kind of go off in the other direction, and we talked earlier about just staying focused and continuing to learn improvements and using it as a benefit as opposed to maybe kind of a negative.”


(on how his experience with the St. Louis Rams and New York Giants and this year’s New England Patriots game prepared him for this Super Bowl) “I think in the big picture, what I have come to learn is that we learn a lot in the ups and the downs of life. There are always things that we can learn. What I believe in is there are always things God is showing us in anything that goes on in our life. Some of those ‘products of down times’ that I have gone through, God showed me a lot and taught me a lot and prepared me for what was coming next. I remember when I got to the NFL and went to my first Super Bowl in 1999, there was no way that I would have been able to handle all of that had I not gone the route that I did through arena football, matured and grew in my faith. I wouldn’t have been able to handle that. I think the same is true. You go through some of these trials and you get back to this point, you appreciate it, you understand a little bit more, you relax and take it all in and just understand how big a hand God has in things like this and how little of a hand I have in things like this. I think those trials and those situations all taught me a lot about just stepping back and enjoying the moment that I am in for all it is worth.


“As far as this year, I know a lot of people want to point to the Patriots game, but I really point towards the end of the season. I really think when we played the Giants and played Minnesota and played Philadelphia and played New England, those are four playoff teams. I think up to that point, we weren’t really sure what it meant to be in the playoffs. A lot of guys had never been there in an organization that hadn’t been there in awhile, and I think those games shocked us a little bit on, ‘Okay, this is what we are going to face as we are going to move forward. This is what the playoffs are going to be about. It is going to be week in, week out playing good football teams that don’t make a lot of mistakes, and if you don’t come to play and you don’t commit and don’t prepare, they are going to blow you off the field.’ I think it was that stretch down towards the end of the season. We were playing those good teams, and it was kind of like a cloud moved over us and said, ‘Hey, this is what it is going to be about. These are what the teams are like in the playoffs. You better show up, and we better improve and better commit more if we are going to do something in the playoffs.’ You may look at the Patriots game as the final part of that, but what I remember is that whole stretch, because it was through that time that I had a lot of players come and talk to me. They were asking me what was going on and what we needed to do better, and it was during that stretch where we had success early, and it kind of hit these teams and they were shocking us a little bit with how bad they were beating us and how well they were playing. I think that it was then that the light bulb kind of switched on and said, ‘This is what the playoffs are going to be like. This is what it is going to be about, and it is going to be like this every single week. You better get prepared.”


(on the heaviness of his leadership responsibilities on the team) “Pressure can be a big responsibility. There is no question in this position in the game of football, you are called upon to lead and a lot of pressure is formed. I think because of the way that I have carried my life and the things that I have stood for, there comes a little pressure and responsibility that come with that. The way I always look at it is I embrace it. I embrace the opportunity to have pressure. Somebody just told me about a week about, talking about the playoffs and getting to this point, and told me a story. The quote came across that pressure is a privilege, to understand that pressure is a privilege. I think that it is a great way to put it. It is great to be in this position. Now, things can go against you and you don’t perform and you don’t do something, there is a lot of the truth being in that position, but at the same time, you embrace the idea that ‘Hey, I am in a position to make a difference for my football team and I am in a position to change the world around me because of the platform I have been given.’ I realized that a long time ago that God put me in this place particularly, and I am going to try to grab hold of that responsibility. I’ll take all the responsibility that comes with it and I am going to try to live up to what God holds me to.”


(on developing trust with WR Larry Fitzgerald throughout the season) “I think it is more than anything, I don’t know if Larry really changed. I think he has been a great receiver for a number of years and been able to make those kinds of plays for a number of years. I think the biggest thing is just me gaining more and more confidence in him. Not because of anything that he hasn’t done, but just as a quarterback sometimes you see things and the way I have always played the game, some things don’t quite look open to me. What I have come to realize is open for different guys and open for Larry is different than open for guys that I have played with in the past. Those are the things that I think I have learned through my course of time here with the Cardinals and playing with Larry and even Anquan (Boldin). It has been a transition for me to learn how to play with these guys and how to make them more successful. I think that is what it has been. The coaches have told me a little bit that sometimes to take a little more chance in a situation like this if you see this look, where maybe in the past I wouldn’t make those throws. Larry just shows you that open is different, and as long as you put it in the right spot that he is going to give us a better chance to make a play than the other team. I have gotten more confident in making some throws that I might not have made before just because of what I saw and not because of his athletic ability or what he is capable of doing.”


(on thinking about the NFL Hall of Fame) “I don’t think a lot about the hall of fame. Obviously when people talk about it or mention it to me or hear some of the speculations about it, you can’t help but think about it to some degree. What I would say is that it is what it is. I don’t make those decisions and I don’t know what all goes into making those decisions, but I am excited to be where I am at today. I wouldn’t change anything that I have done on the football field and I wouldn’t the change two situations, specifically with Arizona and St. Louis, and the part that I have been in and helping them get to the Super Bowl. If that means because there were lulls in the middle or I didn’t play enough that it affects me in the long haul, so be it. I am going to lead this team and I am going to be excited to lead this team because I have pulled through on the impression that I made on at least two organizations. To me, that is the bottom line. The reason that I got into this game and the reason I live my life is to do that. Hopefully I have done that with my teammates and I have done that with the organizations I have been in.”


(on Fitzgerald improving on the little things in his game) “The one thing is that I have been very fortunate in my career that not only have I been around guys that not only have been extremely talented, they were extremely open to working and getting better. That has been a trademark of a lot of great players that I have been around. Larry is no different. Larry has been a guy that since the first day that I got here, I knew he was talented and knew there were times that he could rest on his athleticism to be successful, but he has always looked to try to improve his game with the little things: the route runs, the understanding of coverages, the understanding of how to adjust his routes or how to adjust a defender, something that we talked about a lot over the last four years. You see each and every year -- sometimes at different times through the course of the year -- you see these things starting to click a little bit. You see him starting to get better at receiver. You see him start to be able to slow the game down, where he can actually utilize some of the things that we have talked about or some of the things the coaches are showing him or some of the releases we have done in practice. He can start using those in the game. That is the fun part, that he has been so successful at this level up to this point. I know he will continue to be successful, but he continues to work to want to be the best at his position. That is the exciting thing that for a young guy to accomplish so much. I think it is easy sometimes to just sit back and rest on what you have accomplished and the fact that you are athletic, but he hasn’t done that. He continues to work and continues to improve, and you are seeing the results of that. A microcosm of all that is what he has done here in the playoffs, but he has been doing those things year in and year out. I am just excited to see where he goes in the future, and when it is all said and done how we remember him, because he has the potential to be one of the best that have ever played this game. I am excited to sit back and watch that.”


(on what players can take from the experience of the late Pat Tillman) “Probably unfortunately, it hasn’t been talked about a whole bunch by players, because I think a lot players weren’t here when he was here and maybe don’t understand the big picture of what he brought to this organization and really what he did, not only for the organization but what it means from the bigger picture. Probably it hasn’t been discussed as much as it could have been to have the impact that it could have on our players, but I think we all recognize his presence at different times whether it be the run that they have every year, whether it be the statue that sits outside of the facility. Being a guy that has been in the league and been around, I remember when Pat made that choice and everything that followed that. There is no question that he is an inspiration for what he did or for what he stood for or for his attitude in regards to – I think sometimes we look at the NFL and NFL players, and you think about his situation and the choice that he made and I think that there are very few in the league that would make that same choice. In other words, were slow and were backward to a degree and you live in that world. To understand that he was living for a bigger purpose and went way beyond the game of football and way beyond money and the accolades that come with that, it is definitely something that I have been in that debacle and probably more so since I came here because it is more in the forefront being out here in Arizona. It is something that I appreciate and respect, and it inspires me.”



G REGGIE WELLS

(on if they’ve played any defenses similar to Pittsburgh’s) “It’s tough to say. People have different philosophies on the 3-4 (defenses). I don’t really know anyone in particular that we’ve played that I would compare exactly to them. Probably New England would be the closest one, but even New England does a little bit less as far as the blitz and everything. I think we have to go back and look at some of the games from last year. Not only the Pittsburgh game, but some of our games from their conference as well, and look at how they like to attack things over there and gauge it from there.”


(on what makes the Steelers defense so unpredictable) “They’re going to throw different looks at you one way or the other, but ultimately we know how they’re going to come with their attacks, it’s just how they get into that. There may be four guys standing up, the key is just to decide who we’re counting as our guys as far as the line goes, and just go from there. The line’s done a great job of communicating. We’ve done a great job of being on the same page as we were in practices. We’ll see. Whatever they throw at us out there, we’re going to have to be ready for it and go from there.”


(on assistant head coach/offensive line coach Russ Grimm) “He’s probably just as intense and prepared as he was as a player. He’s a great coach to have on your side, because not only has he played the game, he knows how to teach it as well. Some coaches who know how to teach might not have played the game, and vice versa. He’s been a tremendous help, not only to our younger guys, but to our older guys who haven’t had the kind of success that he’s had in his career.”


(on many of the top-ranked defenses being from the AFC) “I think a lot of AFC teams are 3-4. A lot of NFC teams are over stack teams and want to beat you like that. However the rankings play out, it is what it is.”


(on what Sunday will be like) “I don’t know. We’ll see what the schedule is. I think ultimately we’re going to wake up, have our breakfast, have our last-minute meeting. I think we’re going to have a few hours of down time. I’ll probably try to get to sleep or something like that. I don’t want to be up thinking of the game. I’ll already know what I have to. I want to still have some energy left for pre-game and after that, and all the other festivities that are going on.”


(on if he will have any nervous energy) “Yeah, I think some people have more than others. But ultimately, especially if this is your first one, you don’t know what to expect. I think there will be a certain level of nervousness or something that is going to go away at some point. I’d rather just try to go to sleep instead of sit up and worry about all that.”


(on if he has thought about what he’ll feel like when he steps on the field Sunday) “You like to think that it’s something that I’ll be able to put in the back of my mind and not really think about it too much, and just take it as another game. I’m sure it won’t be that easy, but I think there will come a point where you get your comfort level back out there, and you get your legs underneath you, and it’s just about football at that point. It’s hard to give you a real answer because I’ve never been there before, but that’s how I envision myself preparing for the game.”


(on if the Cardinals’ veterans who have been to the Super Bowl before have talked about what Saturday and Sunday will be like) “Those are all guys who have been there, been in the league a while, and been around a few different teams. Any time that you want to talk to them about anything, those are people who you’d want to go see. Me personally, I’d rather not talk about it more than what’s been talked about enough. I’d rather just jump in than stick my feet in to see if it’s warm or not.”


(on his night before the game ritual) “We have our night meeting, we have our late-night snack when we normally go out and get ice cream or something like that before I get to bed. Really, just go over the last-minute DVD, go over the playbook one more time, really just try to hit the sack as early as possible.”


(on if he’s allowed himself to think what it would be like if the Cardinals won) “Yeah, I think anybody – whether you’re a kid playing in the garage or in the backyard or something like that, or professionally – dreams of what it would be like to actually go forward and do that. We’ve worked plenty hard for it, so have 31 other teams. But we’re one of the teams blessed to still be in it at this point. We know what’s ahead of us, it’s just a matter of going out there and getting it done.”



HEAD COACH KEN WHISENHUNT

(on the importance of getting off to a fast start) “I think it’s important in any game to get off to a fast start. We didn’t get off to a fast start in the Carolina playoff game, but we were able to respond. I think it is more about the ability of your team to respond to certain situations. That is something that we have been much better at in the playoffs. There were times during the season that we were able to do that as well. It is all about growing up as a team. You always want to start fast, but that is not always the case in this type of game. If we don’t get off to a fast start, at least we feel comfortable with our ability to respond.”


(on Dick LeBeau’s 3-4 defense compared to others the Cardinals have faced) “Dick LeBeau is one of the innovators of the 3-4 defense and those guys play a physical, disciplined style of defense. They don’t make a lot of mistakes. They understand what they are trying to get accomplished. It is very tough to have success against them, which is why they are the number one rated defense in the NFL. At the end of the day, it comes down to execution. I have gone against LeBeau’s defenses in training camp in the past and have had mixed results at the best. It will be an exciting game from that standpoint, just to see if we can do anything.”


(on yesterday’s practice and how the team is improving this week) “We had good work on the field yesterday. It wasn’t the normal Wednesday for us because we had already installed most of our game plan last week. We ran some of the stuff from last week and ran some things that we added over the weekend. Normally on a Wednesday, there is a feeling-out process on what you are trying to get done. We didn’t have that yesterday, so it was good. The guys are excited. With all of their commitments to the media this week, they were just excited to get on the football field. We had a good practice.”


(on his relationship with the fans of the Cardinals) “A big part of why I am standing here, and our team is here, is because of our fans. We have created an atmosphere at the University of Phoenix Stadium that makes it tough for teams to come in and beat us. It paid off with two of our three playoff wins coming at home. I think it is a long time coming for the state of Arizona, the city of Phoenix and this team to have some success. I am very excited that our fans have made a significant contribution to that. We are very grateful to them. I came from Pittsburgh, where they have a great fan base and are very supportive of that team. It is exciting for me to see that we are building that in Arizona and to see it come to fruition in playoff games. It was a big thing for us.”


(on Russ Grimm as a player and on him as a coach) “Russ and I had a relationship that continued after we played together. He was a very smart football player. He played a number of different positions for that team along the offensive line. He was always the guy in the huddle that knew what was going on. Not just from what play was going on, but knowing what the defense was trying to do. You could tell that he had the ability to analyze the defense and understand what they were trying to get accomplished. That has served him well as a coach. I think that his mind set, the way he approaches the game, how professional he is and his desire to win, which he has been a very successful player and coach, is what makes him a special person and why he has been so valuable to our team.”


(on the night he made the decision to start Kurt Warner over Matt Leinart) “It was the Friday night after our final preseason game. We had a team meeting on Saturday, where we looked at the tape and our final roster cuts were that day. We had a lot going on, but at that time I felt we needed to make a decision in order to prepare for our first regular season game. Friday night following the game, was the time to make that decision. It was a very difficult decision. I liked a lot of the things Matt had done for us in the preseason. I liked how he had grown and how he had handled the competition. Obviously, Kurt had a very good preseason and training camp. He had done very well. It was a difficult decision; from the standpoint that I knew whoever wasn’t the starter was going to be disappointed. It really came down to making the decision on who I thought gave us the best chance to start fast. After looking at our schedule, with five east coast trips, I knew it was going to be important to start fast in our first few games.”


(on balancing between adding new stuff to the game plan and not over loading the players) “The biggest thing about this week is not allowing things to get stale. If you put everything in last week, it makes this game seem like it takes longer to get here than it does. From this time to game day is the most difficult because you are ready for the game. You put a week of work in last week and now you are preparing for them again. It becomes repetitive. We installed a good portion of our game plan last week, but we have changed a number of things and added some others. Those are the things you are targeting in your reps while you are reviewing the other things. You have to have the feel of some new things just so you can focus. It makes practice go by a little bit quicker. There are some new challenges. Maybe put in a few more gadgets just to get the guys going. I think it is about not trying to do too much. It is going to come down to execution against a very good football team. If we have too much stuff, in it makes it difficult to do that.”


(on the example set by his veterans and how competitive his off-season conditioning program was) “I think one of most important things we wanted to establish here in Arizona was an off-season program. The first thing we did was change the weight room and hire John Lott. John has done a great job of creating competition within our off-season program. Athletes at this level thrive on competition. Even when you do things like running five-yard sprints or agility drills and you put something on the line to create competition, it drives these guys to push themselves to be better. I think the most important thing it does is help forge team chemistry. I guess it has really showed up here in the latter part of the season. Guys like Kurt, Adrian [Wilson], Larry [Fitzgerald] and Anquan [Boldin] know what it takes to be successful in this league. I learned in Pittsburgh with Jerome Bettis and Willie Parker, that when you have a veteran who is willing to spend time with younger players and help them learn what it takes to be successful, that’s where you become stronger. I think it was reported yesterday, that we had 20 to 25 guys stay after practice to work on individual things. That is what our leaders have been doing. They have been working with our younger guys. Kurt has been working with the receivers to make sure they understand what he is thinking when they come out of their breaks. Larry and Anquan have been working on how you run routes, how to work on your splits and how you work on your releases. When you are doing these things, you show your younger guys how to be successful. When you’re younger guys are trained that way it makes your team stronger.”


(on what the win against the Dallas Cowboys meant to the Cardinals season) “We had just come back from a tough east coast trip, where we had lost both of them. We knew we were going against a team that was considered one of the best in the league at the time. Obviously, there was a lot of attention on the Cowboys at the time. They were Super Bowl favorites at the time. It was a big game for us. It was big for us because it gave us confidence against a team that people thought was very good. It was good to see that we could compete against them and actually win the game. Another thing that changed the momentum of our team in that game was our ability to battle back. We were up early, they came back to tie the game and we were able to block the punt and win the game. We didn’t allow something negative happen to our team. We responded in that situation. That was a big win for us. Before that, we had beaten Buffalo, which was another big win for us. But when you beat a team like the Cowboys, a team that was supposed to be going to the Super Bowl, it was a huge win for us.”


(on the rapid success he has had in just two seasons as a head coach) “I think we have a number of young football players on our team. I think the number one thing we will derive from this playoff run is how we operate. When you come to a new team, you wonder if your way of operating will work. I think it is good to have those younger guys see how that it works. I think the standard we have set in regards to how we work, how we study, how we practice and how we prepare in the offseason will be much easier to tell guys, ‘This is what you need to do if you want to play.’ I think our team understands that. I think that is why we have had success in the playoffs.”



SS ADRIAN WILSON

(on what he remembers about former teammate Pat Tillman) “The main thing was he showed a lot of character. He really looked out for others before himself. To leave the game and do what he did (enlist in the U.S. Army) showed what kind of man he was. Being around a guy like that was special. He felt football wasn’t the most important thing for him to do. It spoke volumes to the type of person he was.”


(on if he likes being the “voice of the team” being the longest-tenured Cardinal) “The only thing that it shows is that I am old. I am not really that old but just to be here for so long has been great because I have seen a lot of people come and go. I have been able to see the organization rise from obscurity to where we are now. To be a part of this experience is very important to me.”


(on how he would describe his tenure with the Cardinals) “It has been a tough road. It has been a great opportunity for me to see the organization grow and for the organization to see me grow; it goes hand in hand. To be on this team and be with these guys means a lot because a lot of them weren’t here when times were tough. The people that we have on this team are pretty special.”


(on if he dreamed of making it the Super Bowl when he was a kid) “I had dreams growing up of playing in the (NBA) Finals not the Super Bowl. Obviously this is a nightmare (laughter). I am here and that is the main thing. It has been a dream ride for us with all the success we had in the playoffs.”


(on how impressed he was with the way their defense played in the playoffs after a “difficult” regular season) “I am not going to say our regular season was difficult because a lot of people are looking at the final numbers. Before those last two games we were a top-10 defense. A lot of people are making a lot out of the final numbers, but we are the same team we were earlier in the season.”


(on how he thinks QB Ben Roethlisberger has changed since he first got in the league) “Ben has evolved over the course of his career. He has given them an extra dimension with his ability to scramble out of the pocket. He can make plays on the run. Whenever you have a quarterback like that it is tough to defend. You just want to contain him.”


(on the Cardinals offense getting more attention this week than the defense) “We have been in the background because of our offense. Our offense is a pretty good offense and we like it like that. We don’t need the glory or any press. We just feel like we are doing our job and doing what we need to do to win. That is all that matter in the playoffs – do what it takes to win. We have been giving our offense the ball back and giving them those extra possessions and that is all you can ask for from the defense.”


(on why he feels the Cardinals’ defense doesn’t get any recognition) “Well according to everybody else we are bad…terrible actually. We will take it and run with it. We have a long history of being bad, so it is hard to change people’s mindset. It is not going to happen overnight. After we play in this game it is still probably not going to change. It is going to take a lot of hard work to change the ‘Cardinals persona.’”


(on what he will do during the 24 hours leading up to kickoff) “I will be with family. That is what I always do before games. It is not going to change because my family is a big part of the reason for why I am here and they are a big part of my success. I am going to stay calm like I always am and go out there and play football.”


(on what he feels is the main priority in trying to contain the Steelers defense) “We need to be very consistent. We can’t have ups and lows during the game. We did it against Philadelphia. We had a pretty bad third quarter. It allowed them to get back into the ballgame. We can’t let that happen.”


(on if he watches film on other safeties during the offseason) “You always have to try to find a way to better yourself. Nowadays NFL clubs have every tape of every team so you are able to go back and look at some of the things that some of the top guys do well. You try to incorporate it in your game some how. For me, it is no different. When you go back and look at the instincts of Troy (Polamalu) and Ed Reed it’s the best. You don’t see players do what they have been doing over the past few seasons. You try to take some of the things that they do and apply it to your game.”


(on what separates Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed from other safeties) “It’s about not being scared to make a play. It may sound easy but to be able to leave your responsibility and go do something where you know that play is going to be at…that is something else. It is about being instinctive and knowing where the play is going to be.”


(on if he believes he and Polamalu play the game a similar way) “I don’t know. The things that he does well and the things I do well are totally different. To me, him and Ed Reed are 1A and 1B in the National Football League. To just be mentioned with those guys is a great honor. Like I said, I will go back this offseason and continue to look at tape of those guys.”