PRESS CONFERENCE COLTS - TE DALLAS CLARK - Ingles

Super Bowl XLIV – Tuesday, February 2, 2010

QUOTES FROM INDIANAPOLIS COLTS PRESS CONFERENCE

TE DALLAS CLARK

(on the tight end position) “The thing about being a tight end, you can line up in a lot of different positions, you can do a lot of different things, especially in this offense. I can be in the backfield. I can be out wide and try to act like a receiver sometimes and be in with the big guys (offensive line) and try to block big defensive ends. I just love the versatility of the position and being able to do different things. Each week you do different things and that’s what I enjoy the most about the position.”

(on the evolution of the tight end position) “It’s changed a lot, even before I got here. The position has gone in a direction where it has given people like me – I’m not 270 (pounds) or a glorified tackle. It’s one of those things that gives a guy like me who probably can’t block every play. I’m not going to be blowing any defensive end off the line of scrimmage or driving anyone back. It just gives us a chance to give the offense a different option and defenses and different thing to try to defend.”

(on how the tight end position has changed) “It’s been accelerated even before I got here. (Antonio) Gates and (Tony) Gonzalez really opened up the gates. Jason Witten and the guys have done a good job of taking advantage of an opportunity. Offensive coordinators have done a great job of trying to utilize tight ends. The last few years, tight ends’ productivity has gone up a lot. Offenses are trying to incorporate them as much as possible, especially when you have guys like Gonzales and Gates. Those guys have done a great job of helping their offense with another weapon.”

(on whether he has improved on blocking) “It’s gotten better. It’s a consistent improvement. I’m trying to get as good as I can get.”

(on using good technique to play the tight end position) “That’s one of the things we harp on as a team and at the position. A guy like me – I have to have good techniques and fundamentals because I’m not bigger than any guy out there. You have to use that a lot. It’s a constant challenge, but it’s a good challenge to have.”

(on what he remembers about facing the Dolphins earlier this season) “A lot has happened since then. We have gone through a lot of different changes as a team. We’ve experienced a lot of things as a team. That’s what we needed to do. We needed to grow and mature as a team and get that bond. Week two was way too early to have any idea of what the team was made of and what we were about. We learned a lot about ourselves. We had a lot of close games. We had games where we had to come back. We had games that the defense won for us, that the offense won for us, specials teams. Everyone contributed. That’s what’s special about this team. The fact that we’ve been able to win different ways has been an important season by having to depend on everyone. We weren’t banking on one phase to win games. We had everyone contributing. That’s a solid thing.

(on whether anything is different this year as opposed to the last time the Colts were in the Super Bowl) “Nothing really, I think our maturity level is higher. Going to the hotel, it’s not new anymore. We’ve done this. It’s been a real easy transition from going to working out in Indy then coming down here – being in the same hotel and pretty much doing the same thing. It’s been a real nice transition. Last time we came down here everything was new. Having experienced this, you adapt a little bit easier. It definitely helps the guys who have been here. Hopefully the rookies, Pierre (Garcon) and Austin (Collie) take this all in because this is what it’s about. It’s a special day.”

(on what he likes about Super Bowl week) “Take it day-by-day and enjoy every event and every little thing, but don’t get too involved with it. Take it for what it’s worth and keep focused on the game and your job. The more you can do that the better.”

(on wide receiver Austin Collie) “It’s one of those things that each year it is going to be something new for him. He has done a good job of taking every new experience and situation as a true professional. Both him and Pierre (Garcon) have done a great job of having a huge playoff game and staying humble, aggressive and wanting to learn more and get better. The great thing about those guys is that they know that they don’t have it figured out. They’re still learning. That’s a sign of a good, humble athlete that’s going to keep working hard, not let the attention get to them and think that they’ve arrived and that they can take a couple of days off. They’re still hungry and trying to get better as a player.”

(on how much he has to be aware of Saints safety Darren Sharper) “He has a good nose for the ball. He is a physical player. A lot of those guys back there have done a great job of finding the ball. When they have a chance to make a play, they’ve made it. They’ve done a great job for the defense to make plays. Those are the biggest things that you have to pay attention to. You have to fight like crazy to get open. They are good physical coverage guys and they definitely know how to cause pressure.”

(on the chemistry of the Colts and the overall organization) “It’s a lot of things. It’s a good chemistry of a bunch of great guys. Everyone in the locker room gets along. Everyone is a phenomenal teammate. Everyone has the right focus, the frame of mind and goals in life. When you combine all of that with competitive and athletic players, it’s been a good chemistry. The guys have done a great job of trying to improve every day. Collectively, we’ve been getting better as a team. Mix that with coaches who have been around and seen any and everything. They know each other really well. You can go even higher with coach (Jim) Caldwell and our owner Mr. (Jim) Irsay, everyone is on the same page and is there for the same purpose. It’s a really good chemistry that we have. The players have done a great job. The leaders have done a great job of leading. The young guys have done a great job of learning their role as a player.”

(on head coach Jim Caldwell) “Coach Caldwell is a very strong Christian. It’s one of those things that Coach (Tony) Dungy had more opportunities to express his faith, but Coach Caldwell has done a great job of continuing that within the team.”

(on whether teams are shying away from running the ball) “Teams strive for balance. The most successful team is the team that can beat you both ways. Passing is more glorified, but sometimes those five yard runs are just as effective as 30 yard runs. There are different ways to move the ball. New Orleans offense can be effective running the ball as easily as passing it. They’re more of a threat than a one dimensional team. The more you can be multi-dimensional as an offense the tougher you are for defenses.”

(on the Colts offense lacking a balance) “We don’t run the ball as well as we throw the ball, but we run the ball good enough that it makes defenses have to respect us. You have to respect (running backs) Joe (Joseph) Addai and Donald Brown. Those guys have done a phenomenal job. They’re not getting the carries that other (running) backs on some other teams are getting. The chances they get, they’re getting a first down, they’re running hard, they’re hitting defenders and being physical backs and doing everything the team has called them to do.”

(on former Colts running back Edgerrin James being an honorary captain for the AFC title game) “That was the first time that we’ve seen him. He’s been down here with his family. It was phenomenal to see him. He is such an important part of this team. He has done so much for the organization and is such a great guy. For him to come back and be a captain, it meant a lot to the guys in the locker room and especially Indianapolis. Everyone was excited to see him. He’s a true professional. He did so many great things for the city of Indianapolis.”

(on this year’s media day) “We’re inside, but it’s a very similar environment – the craziness of all the questions. Experiencing it a few years ago makes it a little bit easier. Last time it was pretty impressive to see all those people. Once you see it once you kind of get used to it. The shock factor has gone down a little bit experiencing it the second time.”

(on whether he enjoys Media Day) “It’s fun, as long as you don’t have to talk about Peyton (Manning) all the time. Obviously that’s one of the popular questions, but this is what you have to enjoy. It’s crazy. All these people here for us and New Orleans. It’s part of this week-long process that makes this week a special week.”

(on playing his second Super Bowl in Miami) “It’s a great place to have this event. It’s a beautiful stadium and beautiful weather, minus the rain. It’s very similar. Hopefully everything will be the same, minus the rain. It’s been a great place to come back to.”

(on Head Coach Jim Caldwell’s first year as a head coach) “I think he did a great job of sitting back, when he got the job, and seeing things that worked and things that he wanted to change. He didn’t come in and clean the closet and say, ‘This is how I’m going to do things. This is how things are going to be run.’ He did a great job of tweaking this here and there. We had success the past few years so he didn’t really want to go crazy and change a lot of things. He did a great job of changing a few things here and there. He made it an easier transition of a new coach for the players. That was the most important part. The guys have done a great job of cooperating and meeting him halfway. It’s one of the best transitions possible, if you’re going to change the head coach.”

(on how his role changes) “It changes in different ways. For the Jets game we were hoping to run a few more routes, but I ended up blocking a lot of the game. A lot of things change as the game continues as we figure out how teams try to defend us. We can go in with a certain game plan, thinking we’re going to do this or feature this, and then all of a sudden teams do this or have a little wrinkle and we have to adjust. You never know. Hopefully we don’t have to adjust so I have to protect more, but you never know.”

(on whether he can see himself with eight-plus catches on Sunday) “That would be nice. I would enjoy that, but we just see what they do and adjust from there. We see what kind of game they want it to be.”

(on his purpose in life) “To have an impact on people and have a positive influence on as many people as possible.”

(on Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon) “They’ve had a huge impact and have done a great job of handling the complexity of the offense. They have handled the pressure of stepping in and making plays. They’ve done a great job of that all year. It’s impressive to see that from young players because it takes a couple of years to feel comfortable. The good thing about them is that they know they have a lot more to learn and a lot more to feel comfortable with, but they’ve done a great job of handling every situation and adapting the offense. It’s special to see them having a huge game as a playoff game. They fully deserve that for all the hard work they put in.”

(on whether he babies Collie and Garcon) “I wouldn’t say ‘baby.’ I don’t think they would respect that word too much, but mentor and help out a little bit. (Wide receiver) Reggie (Wayne) has done a phenomenal job with those guys and has helped them with questions. Any questions that they come to ask us, we’re going to be there to help because we’re teammates. The more they get it, the quicker they respond, the better they’ll be. Everyone has done a great job of expecting a lot out of them. In return they have done a lot.”