Super Bowl XLIV – Monday, February 1, 2010
QUOTES FROM NEW ORLEANS SAINTS PRESS CONFERENCE
RB REGGIE BUSH
(on the biggest game he has played in up until this game) “I think all the games this season were pretty big, but I would have to say the last game is the biggest I have played in. The game was so up and down. It was a rollercoaster game. Playing against Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson and that defense made it pretty big. It was a tough game for us. I think everyone who watched that game saw a hard-fought game for 60 minutes.”
(on the changes to the schedule today and arriving at the Super Bowl) “The rain put a damper on some of our plans. It rains a lot in New Orleans, too, so it is something that we are used to. I don’t think the weather is going to be too big of a deal for us. But getting here today has been a lot of fun. It is nice to get this thing on the road. We got situated in our hotel rooms so that was nice.”
(on if DE Dwight Freeney did not play this week and the impact it would have) “We have heard stories about him playing and not playing. We are just going to prepare as if he is going to play. We don’t know for sure, but it is the Super Bowl and it is all on the line. You never know what goes on in a guy’s head. You never know what they are going to do. We are going to prepare as if he is playing. He is one of their best players on defense. It starts with him and (Robert) Mathis up front on their defense. We will prepare as if both of those guys are playing, and if we get to the game and they don’t, then so be it.”
(on the how the community of New Orleans has shown appreciation for making it to the Super Bowl) “Since I have gotten to New Orleans their support level has been through the roof. They love the Saints. They are behind us. It is almost a live-and-die situation with the Saints. That is special to me. Growing up in southern California, I always heard how big football is in Texas and Florida and I never got to experience that. But coming to New Orleans is my first time experiencing something like that. It is very much appreciated. Everything we do is for the city of New Orleans.”
(on the Super Bowl coming back to New Orleans in a couple of years) “We would love nothing more than to bring a Super Bowl trophy to New Orleans. As far as the Super Bowl coming to New Orleans in 2012, it will be huge. It will be great for the city. They have been through so much down there and every time we have events like that there it just helps that city become even stronger. It is a continuing effort, not just by us, but by everyone. The people are trying to rebuild New Orleans and it is going to take a while.”
(on being a different running back now than he was a rookie) “I definitely am. I looked at the film the first time we played the Colts, and it was hard for me to watch. I just saw things I should have done better. I should have made that cut or that cut. It was just hard for me to watch. This is a learning process. This is a faster level of play. The guys are faster, smarter and stronger. I just have to continue to learn. I feel that I have learned so much already the past few years. I have dealt with injuries the last couple of years, so I have learned to deal with that. It is just a learning process. I am excited about where we are as a team and where I am at personally. I feel like we will only get better from here.”
(on the coin flip in overtime of the Conference Championship game) “That might have been the slowest coin toss I have ever seen. It took forever for that coin to come down and hit the ground. I was just praying that we won the toss. You had to be prepared for whatever the outcome may be and prepare accordingly. You didn’t know what was going to happen that game, so you didn’t want to look ahead. Winning the coin toss was a huge sigh of relief. The rules are what they are and you have to play by them.”
(on what he expects to hear from Sean Payton every day this week) “During the week he is a normal guy, but on game day he is a different person. It is almost like he is bi-polar. He is absolutely intense on game days. You don’t want to approach him because you don’t know if he is going to snap on you. That is just him.”
(on what Sean Payton has brought to his game) “He just gives me the ability to have mismatches. He creates problems for defenses every week. You cannot ask for more than that. He reminds me a lot of the offense we ran at USC. It was a wide-open offense that created a lot of mismatches, not just with me, but with Marques Colston and Devery Henderson. He gives those guys a chance to be successful on every play. Since the day he got here, you have seen an explosive offense. It is all a testament to Sean Payton.”
(on first-time organizations in the Super Bowl and their results) “It is what it is. This is a tough team we are playing against. Everyone knows what we are up against. Peyton Manning is a great quarterback. Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney and Mathis are talented players. They have so many players on their team that are talented. You can never overlook one guy. As much as everyone is talking about Peyton Manning, there are 52 other guys on that team that can beat you. Peyton is the leader of that team, but he is not their only player. We are just going to do the best we can. We are going to go in with the mentality that we can win. That is the approach we have to take. I know this is the Super Bowl and it is exciting to be here, but we still have a game to play.”
(on playing in big games in college) “I think experience in general helps you. I think coming from a program that I felt prepared me for the NFL definitely helps. These are the types of games you live for. They are the types of games you love to play in. The more experience you have the better.”
(on being drafted by the Saints and did he have any trepidation that he couldn’t win) “When I was first drafted by the Saints, I am not going to lie, I was pretty scared. I was nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. It was a year after Hurricane Katrina, and they didn’t even know if they were going to have a home field to play on. I didn’t know what to expect. Drew Brees called me the night I was drafted and told me he was excited to play with me. He told me how he got to play with LaDainian Tomlinson and he was looking forward to playing with me. That changed my entire view on what I was going into. It also eased my mind. I had a chance to watch Drew play when he was with the Chargers, so for a guy like Drew to call me says a lot about him. It eased my emotions about what I was getting into. Having the chance to come right in and be a difference maker for the organization is a blessing. For us to be able to change the face of this organization from Day One is a testament to the hard work we have put in, the character of the guys on this team and the coaches. You have seen that from Day One. From the first time Sean Payton, Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and Marques Colston stepped on the field, you saw a difference. We have been trying to bring that every day since then.”
(on if the doubters disappeared after the win over New England) “I don’t know. I feel like we have not been picked to win a game all year. I feel like we have faced the criticism head on this year. I think the critics just push you to play harder. I think when we signed Mike McKenzie and he came in and helped us beat the Patriots the way we did, it spoke loudly to a lot of people across the league. It was a chance for us to show we were a legit team. I think people were straddling the fence on if we were a solid team or not because of the teams we had beaten. To beat Tom Brady, who is one of the best quarterbacks to play the game, in the fashion that we did, spoke loudly to a lot of people across the league.”
(on being able to contribute by running the ball, catching the ball and returning the ball) “I love doing them all. I like getting the ball in my hands. Why stop at just being a running back? You should try to be the best at all three of them. It gives me a chance to be more versatile. It creates mismatches for defenses. It continues to create nightmares for defensive coordinators.”
martes, 2 de febrero de 2010
PRESS CONFERENCE SAINTS - QB DREW BREES - Ingles
Super Bowl XLIV – Monday, February 1, 2010
QUOTES FROM NEW ORLEANS SAINTS PRESS CONFERENCE
QB DREW BREES
(on Saints Pro Bowlers greeting their team dressed as bellhops) “It was (Saints LB) Jon (Vilma)’s idea. Initially, it was just going to be Jon, but the fact that all the Pro Bowl guys were at the hotel anyways, and then we were planning on being out there to greet the team as they came in, he asked us if we’d join in. We were happy to do it.”
(on if the Pro Bowlers took ice bags to the Saints’ hotel rooms) “It didn’t go that far. It was really just the appearance of us kind of standing on the curb, waiting ready to serve.”
(on how the Super Bowl changes if Colts DE Dwight Freeney does not play due to injury) “They still will do a lot of the same things. Obviously, he is a tremendous player and one of the best, if not the best pass rusher in this league, as is the guy on the other side, (Colts DE Robert) Mathis. Really, I think their style is one that they have played for a long time. They’re getting a little bit more pressure now than they have in the past, but still it’s very much the same philosophy of ‘we’re going to get after you with our front four, we’re going to make you throw it underneath, we’re not going to give up big plays (and) we’re going to do a great job of rallying and tackling.’ Every guy on that defense is a good tackler. They know how to strip and get the ball out.”
(on avoiding making assumptions about Freeney’s status based on the Colts’ injury report) “The fact is it’s the Super Bowl. I know any player would do as much as they could to get on that field. Obviously, he’s a competitor and a guy who… We’re expecting him to play. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t. Certainly, I feel like they’re coming into this game with all of their ammo.”
(on comparing the Super Bowl hype to that of the Saints’ Week 12 game against the New England Patriots) “I would draw the similarity from the type of organization we were playing then and the type of organization we’re playing now. One (similarity) is it is really a model organization. The Colts have won 12 or more games in the last seven seasons and won a Super Bowl just a few years ago. They are a perennial playoff contender, a championship contender that has a great quarterback, head coach, management and a bunch of very talented players—guys that they know how to win. They know what it takes to win, and they play disciplined football. Anytime you go up against an organization like that, a team like that, you just understand that your mistakes all of the sudden get magnified. You need to be that much more disciplined with what you’re doing, and execution becomes critical.”
(on his relationship with Saints QB Mark Brunell) “Mark has been awesome. Mark Brunell has been tremendous for me as a mentor (and) as a guy who has played a lot of football at a very high level. You’re talking about a guy who has been to three Pro Bowls (and) led those teams in Jacksonville to two AFC Championship games. He’s played in a ton of big games, big atmospheres. He’s a true professional. There are certainly a lot of things I have been able to gain from him over the last few years.”
(on competing against Colts QB Peyton Manning) “That’s exactly the trap that I’m not going to fall into, which is trying to keep up with Petyon. I know that Peyton is going to make his plays, and he is going to be Peyton. That just means that I need to be me. Certainly, this is a game that very well could be back and forth or one team could get out to a lead and then all of the sudden the other team closes the gap. I think we’ve both shown the ability to come back from big deficits. The game is always within reach no matter what the situation. It’s me and my offense against their defense and vice versa. Certainly, I have a lot of respect for Peyton and what he has been able to accomplish and what their team has been able to accomplish, but it’s not me against Petyon Manning.”
(on this Super Bowl’s impact on New Orleans considering the effects of Hurricane Katrina) “(It is important for) not only the people in New Orleans, but I think the people around the country because you do understand how much it means to that community and what they’ve been through. Our success as a team over the last four years, but especially this year, has been tremendous just in regards to giving so many of the members of that community hope and lifting their spirits. There is still a lot of work to be done there in regards to the rebuilding and the recovery post-Katrina. There are still a lot of people in some pretty dire straits. For us to be able to have the success we’re having, it just does so much for that community as far as bringing everyone together. There’s a bond that we have with our fans—between our organization and our fans—that’s truly special. This has been, obviously, a storybook season for all of us—a 13-0 start (and) a lot of firsts. (It was) our first time to host an NFC Championship game (and the) first Super Bowl appearance in the 42-year history of the organization, so we have a lot to play for. We don’t look at it as extra pressure. We look at it as a sense of responsibility, and we really gain strength from our fans from the ‘Who Dat?’ nation (and) from the people of New Orleans, just knowing that their spirit is with us.”
(on the rainy weather affecting the Saints’ Monday itinerary) “It is what it is. ‘Weather the storm.’ We know how to do that. This (walk-through) is something that we wanted to do today. We got here early for a reason. Our team jumped right on the buses to the practice field. We got a good sweat in (and) got a good workout in. I think it has just really set the tone for us and our mindset for this week. It’s all business.”
(on Vilma’s idea to dress as bellhops helping the Saints keep their usual mentality) “You could very easily get to this week and all of the sudden want to put too much pressure on yourself and feel the pressure and the hype of the media and all that stuff. I think that’s one of Jon’s great strengths is his ability to constantly have a finger on the pulse of the team and know when it’s time to work and when it’s time to joke and have a good time. Obviously, when the guys pulled up, he thought that would be a good way to welcome everybody in, and it was.”
(on being in the Dolphins’ practice facility after considering signing with Miami as a free agent in 2006) “It’s kind of interesting, I guess. The (Dolphins’ practice) bubble wasn’t built yet, but it was under construction, so it’s not like I set foot in there. Just kind of walking around the facility and the weight room, obviously, to get in here brought back the memories of that free-agency period back in 2006, which was really a defining moment in my career and probably my life just the way that things worked out. Obviously, I’m where I belong.”
(on serving as a leader in the New Orleans community) “I know that I have been blessed with a lot of opportunities in my life—the opportunity to go to a great university, Purdue University, play in the Big Ten, the opportunity I had out in San Diego and the opportunity I’ve had here in New Orleans. (I have had) so many great coaches and mentors around me. I just feel like it’s a big responsibility for me. I feel like I’ve been given a platform to really make a difference in a lot of people’s lives, especially those who are less fortunate and those who might not have the opportunities otherwise. I’ve embraced the community of New Orleans just because it is a special place, and they’ve embraced me and my wife in a way that I can’t even describe. There is nothing more that I want for them than a championship.”
(on attempting passes to the back shoulder of his receivers) “It’s a simple philosophy. It’s throw it to our guy away from their guy. Just because your guy is running right next to one of their guys doesn’t mean that there isn’t a place where you can throw that ball where only your guy can get it. That’s the point of the back-shoulder throw or any throw where… Maybe it looks like a really low throw or a really high throw, but you’re taking your receiver and kind of using it to their strengths where you can throw that ball, where you know they can get it and nobody else can.”
(on his rapport with his receivers) “That takes time. That’s chemistry. That’s working at it. (Saints WR) Marques Colston and I have had four years together, and (I’ve had) the same with (Saints WR) Devery Henderson. (Saints WR) Lance Moore is in his third year. All of these guys, even (Saints TE Jeremy) Shockey, the difference from last year to this year… (There are) so many guys where you just build that rapport over time.”
(on the Saints’ offensive personnel) “We have an arsenal. We have a lot of guys who can do a lot of great things, great athletes. What we try to do within our offense is put everybody in position to succeed according to their strengths.”
(on if former Dolphins Head Coach Nick Saban contacted him at 12:01 a.m. on the first morning of free agency in 2006) “He probably called me before that (laughter). The fact of the matter is I went to New Orleans and I came to Miami as free-agent possibilities. I had great visits at both places. I have a lot of respect for both organizations, but in the end I felt like New Orleans was my calling. That’s where I belonged, not only to help rebuild that organization and get it back on the right track, but also to help rebuild a community and a region and to do something special.”
(on previously mentioning that everything happens for a reason in 2006) “I do believe everything happens for a reason despite the fact that the (shoulder) injury is what caused me to leave San Diego. At the time, I was picturing myself as being the San Diego Chargers’ quarterback for my entire career. That was my dream. That was my goal at the time. For that to be kind of taken away and all of the sudden you are in limbo, (I was wondering) not only what other team am I going go to, but am I ever going to be able to play at the level that I know I can play at ever again because of this serious shoulder injury? God puts you in a position for a reason, and it goes way beyond football, I think.”
(on what continues to drive him considering all of his success) “I think you’re always driven by the opportunity to be the best. I am blessed to be able to play in this league. How many people would only dream to be able to play quarterback in the NFL and to take it one step further and have the opportunity to play for a Super Bowl Championship, a world championship, especially for a city like New Orleans and an organization like the New Orleans Saints and for a coach like (Saints Head Coach) Sean Payton and a general manager like (Saints GM) Mickey Loomis and an owner like (Saints Owner) Tom Benson, who really believed in me when nobody else did. They had as much confidence in me as I did in myself. That’s meant the world to me. I want to win it for them, just like I want to win it for all my teammates and my city.”
(on what he spoke to Manning about at the Pro Bowl) “I’ve known Peyton (Manning) for a long time since I was at Purdue and he was at Indy. I used to go to games. I went to a few games when I was at Purdue as a student. I think he was always very good to me when I was a college quarterback. To think, here we are 10 years later, and it’s gone by fast, that we’d be playing in the Super Bowl against one another, at least our teams... (It’s) pretty crazy how things work out.”
(on staying focused after not playing a game in two weeks) “From the time that we won the NFC Championship, it was kind of 24 hours of celebrating a little bit and also starting to think about what the plans were going to be like for the next two weeks and really kind of coming up with a plan and a routine and a process for last week and this week, just understanding the hype and the media and the potential distractions and all of those things and just trying to kind of manage all of those things. I talked to a lot of my mentors. I talked to a lot of former quarterbacks who have been to this game before and just got a gauge for just how I wanted to handle this week so that I could get all of my preparation in and be as ready to play and win this game as I could.”
(on Saints RB Reggie Bush’s potential) “I think the sky is the limit for Reggie Bush. I think he could continue to get a lot better and continue to… Just like any young running back in this league, there’s that time period or that learning curve where you’re just continuing to develop and continuing to learn how to be a pro and kind of honing in on your skills. Obviously, he’s one of the most talented players in the NFL, but to see him in that Arizona game have the game that was very complete—probably one of the most impressive performances since I’ve seen from him since he’s been here—I think he just needs to continue to build upon that (and) continue to fulfill his role. He can really help us win if he does that.”
QUOTES FROM NEW ORLEANS SAINTS PRESS CONFERENCE
QB DREW BREES
(on Saints Pro Bowlers greeting their team dressed as bellhops) “It was (Saints LB) Jon (Vilma)’s idea. Initially, it was just going to be Jon, but the fact that all the Pro Bowl guys were at the hotel anyways, and then we were planning on being out there to greet the team as they came in, he asked us if we’d join in. We were happy to do it.”
(on if the Pro Bowlers took ice bags to the Saints’ hotel rooms) “It didn’t go that far. It was really just the appearance of us kind of standing on the curb, waiting ready to serve.”
(on how the Super Bowl changes if Colts DE Dwight Freeney does not play due to injury) “They still will do a lot of the same things. Obviously, he is a tremendous player and one of the best, if not the best pass rusher in this league, as is the guy on the other side, (Colts DE Robert) Mathis. Really, I think their style is one that they have played for a long time. They’re getting a little bit more pressure now than they have in the past, but still it’s very much the same philosophy of ‘we’re going to get after you with our front four, we’re going to make you throw it underneath, we’re not going to give up big plays (and) we’re going to do a great job of rallying and tackling.’ Every guy on that defense is a good tackler. They know how to strip and get the ball out.”
(on avoiding making assumptions about Freeney’s status based on the Colts’ injury report) “The fact is it’s the Super Bowl. I know any player would do as much as they could to get on that field. Obviously, he’s a competitor and a guy who… We’re expecting him to play. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t. Certainly, I feel like they’re coming into this game with all of their ammo.”
(on comparing the Super Bowl hype to that of the Saints’ Week 12 game against the New England Patriots) “I would draw the similarity from the type of organization we were playing then and the type of organization we’re playing now. One (similarity) is it is really a model organization. The Colts have won 12 or more games in the last seven seasons and won a Super Bowl just a few years ago. They are a perennial playoff contender, a championship contender that has a great quarterback, head coach, management and a bunch of very talented players—guys that they know how to win. They know what it takes to win, and they play disciplined football. Anytime you go up against an organization like that, a team like that, you just understand that your mistakes all of the sudden get magnified. You need to be that much more disciplined with what you’re doing, and execution becomes critical.”
(on his relationship with Saints QB Mark Brunell) “Mark has been awesome. Mark Brunell has been tremendous for me as a mentor (and) as a guy who has played a lot of football at a very high level. You’re talking about a guy who has been to three Pro Bowls (and) led those teams in Jacksonville to two AFC Championship games. He’s played in a ton of big games, big atmospheres. He’s a true professional. There are certainly a lot of things I have been able to gain from him over the last few years.”
(on competing against Colts QB Peyton Manning) “That’s exactly the trap that I’m not going to fall into, which is trying to keep up with Petyon. I know that Peyton is going to make his plays, and he is going to be Peyton. That just means that I need to be me. Certainly, this is a game that very well could be back and forth or one team could get out to a lead and then all of the sudden the other team closes the gap. I think we’ve both shown the ability to come back from big deficits. The game is always within reach no matter what the situation. It’s me and my offense against their defense and vice versa. Certainly, I have a lot of respect for Peyton and what he has been able to accomplish and what their team has been able to accomplish, but it’s not me against Petyon Manning.”
(on this Super Bowl’s impact on New Orleans considering the effects of Hurricane Katrina) “(It is important for) not only the people in New Orleans, but I think the people around the country because you do understand how much it means to that community and what they’ve been through. Our success as a team over the last four years, but especially this year, has been tremendous just in regards to giving so many of the members of that community hope and lifting their spirits. There is still a lot of work to be done there in regards to the rebuilding and the recovery post-Katrina. There are still a lot of people in some pretty dire straits. For us to be able to have the success we’re having, it just does so much for that community as far as bringing everyone together. There’s a bond that we have with our fans—between our organization and our fans—that’s truly special. This has been, obviously, a storybook season for all of us—a 13-0 start (and) a lot of firsts. (It was) our first time to host an NFC Championship game (and the) first Super Bowl appearance in the 42-year history of the organization, so we have a lot to play for. We don’t look at it as extra pressure. We look at it as a sense of responsibility, and we really gain strength from our fans from the ‘Who Dat?’ nation (and) from the people of New Orleans, just knowing that their spirit is with us.”
(on the rainy weather affecting the Saints’ Monday itinerary) “It is what it is. ‘Weather the storm.’ We know how to do that. This (walk-through) is something that we wanted to do today. We got here early for a reason. Our team jumped right on the buses to the practice field. We got a good sweat in (and) got a good workout in. I think it has just really set the tone for us and our mindset for this week. It’s all business.”
(on Vilma’s idea to dress as bellhops helping the Saints keep their usual mentality) “You could very easily get to this week and all of the sudden want to put too much pressure on yourself and feel the pressure and the hype of the media and all that stuff. I think that’s one of Jon’s great strengths is his ability to constantly have a finger on the pulse of the team and know when it’s time to work and when it’s time to joke and have a good time. Obviously, when the guys pulled up, he thought that would be a good way to welcome everybody in, and it was.”
(on being in the Dolphins’ practice facility after considering signing with Miami as a free agent in 2006) “It’s kind of interesting, I guess. The (Dolphins’ practice) bubble wasn’t built yet, but it was under construction, so it’s not like I set foot in there. Just kind of walking around the facility and the weight room, obviously, to get in here brought back the memories of that free-agency period back in 2006, which was really a defining moment in my career and probably my life just the way that things worked out. Obviously, I’m where I belong.”
(on serving as a leader in the New Orleans community) “I know that I have been blessed with a lot of opportunities in my life—the opportunity to go to a great university, Purdue University, play in the Big Ten, the opportunity I had out in San Diego and the opportunity I’ve had here in New Orleans. (I have had) so many great coaches and mentors around me. I just feel like it’s a big responsibility for me. I feel like I’ve been given a platform to really make a difference in a lot of people’s lives, especially those who are less fortunate and those who might not have the opportunities otherwise. I’ve embraced the community of New Orleans just because it is a special place, and they’ve embraced me and my wife in a way that I can’t even describe. There is nothing more that I want for them than a championship.”
(on attempting passes to the back shoulder of his receivers) “It’s a simple philosophy. It’s throw it to our guy away from their guy. Just because your guy is running right next to one of their guys doesn’t mean that there isn’t a place where you can throw that ball where only your guy can get it. That’s the point of the back-shoulder throw or any throw where… Maybe it looks like a really low throw or a really high throw, but you’re taking your receiver and kind of using it to their strengths where you can throw that ball, where you know they can get it and nobody else can.”
(on his rapport with his receivers) “That takes time. That’s chemistry. That’s working at it. (Saints WR) Marques Colston and I have had four years together, and (I’ve had) the same with (Saints WR) Devery Henderson. (Saints WR) Lance Moore is in his third year. All of these guys, even (Saints TE Jeremy) Shockey, the difference from last year to this year… (There are) so many guys where you just build that rapport over time.”
(on the Saints’ offensive personnel) “We have an arsenal. We have a lot of guys who can do a lot of great things, great athletes. What we try to do within our offense is put everybody in position to succeed according to their strengths.”
(on if former Dolphins Head Coach Nick Saban contacted him at 12:01 a.m. on the first morning of free agency in 2006) “He probably called me before that (laughter). The fact of the matter is I went to New Orleans and I came to Miami as free-agent possibilities. I had great visits at both places. I have a lot of respect for both organizations, but in the end I felt like New Orleans was my calling. That’s where I belonged, not only to help rebuild that organization and get it back on the right track, but also to help rebuild a community and a region and to do something special.”
(on previously mentioning that everything happens for a reason in 2006) “I do believe everything happens for a reason despite the fact that the (shoulder) injury is what caused me to leave San Diego. At the time, I was picturing myself as being the San Diego Chargers’ quarterback for my entire career. That was my dream. That was my goal at the time. For that to be kind of taken away and all of the sudden you are in limbo, (I was wondering) not only what other team am I going go to, but am I ever going to be able to play at the level that I know I can play at ever again because of this serious shoulder injury? God puts you in a position for a reason, and it goes way beyond football, I think.”
(on what continues to drive him considering all of his success) “I think you’re always driven by the opportunity to be the best. I am blessed to be able to play in this league. How many people would only dream to be able to play quarterback in the NFL and to take it one step further and have the opportunity to play for a Super Bowl Championship, a world championship, especially for a city like New Orleans and an organization like the New Orleans Saints and for a coach like (Saints Head Coach) Sean Payton and a general manager like (Saints GM) Mickey Loomis and an owner like (Saints Owner) Tom Benson, who really believed in me when nobody else did. They had as much confidence in me as I did in myself. That’s meant the world to me. I want to win it for them, just like I want to win it for all my teammates and my city.”
(on what he spoke to Manning about at the Pro Bowl) “I’ve known Peyton (Manning) for a long time since I was at Purdue and he was at Indy. I used to go to games. I went to a few games when I was at Purdue as a student. I think he was always very good to me when I was a college quarterback. To think, here we are 10 years later, and it’s gone by fast, that we’d be playing in the Super Bowl against one another, at least our teams... (It’s) pretty crazy how things work out.”
(on staying focused after not playing a game in two weeks) “From the time that we won the NFC Championship, it was kind of 24 hours of celebrating a little bit and also starting to think about what the plans were going to be like for the next two weeks and really kind of coming up with a plan and a routine and a process for last week and this week, just understanding the hype and the media and the potential distractions and all of those things and just trying to kind of manage all of those things. I talked to a lot of my mentors. I talked to a lot of former quarterbacks who have been to this game before and just got a gauge for just how I wanted to handle this week so that I could get all of my preparation in and be as ready to play and win this game as I could.”
(on Saints RB Reggie Bush’s potential) “I think the sky is the limit for Reggie Bush. I think he could continue to get a lot better and continue to… Just like any young running back in this league, there’s that time period or that learning curve where you’re just continuing to develop and continuing to learn how to be a pro and kind of honing in on your skills. Obviously, he’s one of the most talented players in the NFL, but to see him in that Arizona game have the game that was very complete—probably one of the most impressive performances since I’ve seen from him since he’s been here—I think he just needs to continue to build upon that (and) continue to fulfill his role. He can really help us win if he does that.”
PRESS CONFERENCE SAINTS - HEAD COACH SEAN PAYTON - ingles
Super Bowl XLIV – Monday, February 1, 2010
QUOTES FROM NEW ORLEANS SAINTS PRESS CONFERENCE
HEAD COACH SEAN PAYTON
(Opening statement) “We just had a real brief practice. We came up here to the indoor facility, and got some good work in. Tomorrow will be Media Day for our guys, and then we will get into our routine on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and a walkthrough on Saturday. I think the schedule and the practice times have been posted.”
(on how the Saints’ day went) “Today went pretty smooth. The flight coming here wasn’t pretty long. We were able to get everyone into the hotel and get over to the University of Miami’s locker room to get the lay of the land. Guys got changed there, and we bused up here to get our practice in. We wanted to get a workout in today. We felt that was important. Overall, it went pretty good.”
(on how the club’s travel logistics went) “Actually, it was pretty smooth. When you get the itinerary down and the players are adaptable, it just involved us busing up here to practice. We knew going in this week that this would be the rain plan. The weather forecast for the balance of the week, after tomorrow, is pretty good, so these fields will dry up well. It was good that we had the (Dolphins’ indoor) bubble to use today.”
(on if the Saints will use the Dolphins’ indoor facility again) “The league has a schedule for both teams in the event of rain. This provides you the ability to practice and get your work done.”
(on how injury to DE Dwight Freeney affects the Saints game plan) “I wouldn’t be able to comment on a potential injury to someone on the other team. The focus for us is just getting a good week’s work done, and I wouldn’t want to speculate.”
(on taking the New Orleans job after working with both the Giants and Cowboys that have a lot of history) “In the early stages, what’s important is the message and the time spent with (General Manager) Mickey Loomis and ownership in regards to their commitment level. When you take over and get a new job, more often than not, it’s because they’ve had trouble in the past. I think what’s important is trying to quickly identify what’s kept the team from being successful. I’ve said this before, it’s also important to be able to identify who is having success. You’ve heard me talk about the Patriots, and paying close attention in our industry to organizations or teams like New England, and really studying closely the reason they were successful. It’s pretty good business practice to do that. You start with the team aspect of it, of trying to get players who put the team ahead of their own accomplishments, their own itineraries. That’s easier said than done. With that being said, that’s where we started in 2006 in trying to build this the right way. In the beginning, it had a lot to do with the people in the interview process, of feeling confident that there was a willingness to take the steps needed, the commitment needed to be successful. You trust your gut that way, and you start working.”
(on the Saints’ Pro Bowl players dressing as bellhops when the team arrived at the hotel) “We had a group of players come down early. The Pro Bowl players came down yesterday for last night’s game, and the league did a real good job of working through the logistics and getting the players there. It’s unique in that they’re arriving ahead of the team. You never lose track of the job you have. For about a half-hour today, those Pro Bowl players earned some pretty good tips with our players getting off the bus and handling the luggage. They did a good job. We’re always one to steal a pretty good idea. I think Bill Walsh a long time ago had a pretty good idea, and we just took it like one of his offensive plays and ran with it.”
(on what he identified from Anthony Hargrove from the DVD he sent out) “I think it started with the face-to-face interview. People in all walks of life, at times, can hit rock bottom or maybe exhaust their opportunities. There is part of us that wants to make sure you give someone a second chance, and it starts with evaluating the sincerity of someone eye-to-eye and having the belief or having the same confidence in that person that you would want for him to have in himself. Starting with the visit and laying out the structure for him, what we would expect and our expectation level. To his credit, daily he lives that. Daily he recognizes this opportunity. When that happens, there’s more of a reward or gratification in what you do than the second-round pick who comes into the league. In other words, it’s a good story, and it gives you confidence in the human spirit and what someone can change in their life despite the mistakes they’ve made prior. It’s easy to be proud of a guy like that. He’s had to battle and fight, and I think it’s a good message.”
(on what makes Drew Brees such an ideal person for the Saints and how much he means to the community) “He is an unselfish player. He’s extremely committed to his line of work. It’s hard in a 15-minute press conference to talk about his work ethic and the way he prepares. For the fans, the persons who live and eat New Orleans Saints football, for them to have someone like that as the quarterback of their team, who is also very talented, a very good athlete and very successful, they appreciate that, and they respect that. There is a combination of character and toughness, hard work and athleticism. All of those things that would draw somebody to a player like Drew Brees, and I think it’s unique.”
(on relationship between Drew Brees and Mark Brunell, and what was the Saints’ thinking in signing Brunell) “The one thing we were looking for was someone who could still play. It’s one thing to say that we want to have a mentor, and yet our job as coaches is to make sure we are providing that. So it started with the question: Do we feel like we have a vision for the player in Mark Brunell? We felt like his arm strength was still solid. There is a confidence level about him in the huddle and in practice that is somewhat contagious. That’s a good trait to have when you are someone who could be called upon at any time. Outside of the evaluation process, the other things were things we felt good about. He has been someone who has been a key figure on this team and has a key role. He still works and prepares just like you would expect for any one of your players each week. I had to get over the fact he was left-handed – there are some twists that go along with that. Behind him, we have a young guy named Chase Daniel, who is intriguing and has done some good things. We have a pretty good mixture of some experience as well as youth. It came down to skill set first in regards to Mark. We looked closely at it, and we were able to get him signed. He’s provided us leadership in regards to that, even as a No. 2.”
(on if they will bring back Brunell next season) “Next year seems like five years from now.”
(on if he’s concerned that defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ comments have become bulletin-board material) “No. Listen, I paid close attention to what was said. I think that I said this last week: Given the nature of Super Bowl week, I think that one of the first things you try to do defensively is try to hurry the quarterback, pressure the quarterback or disrupt the timing of the quarterback. I think it’s fairly common sense with defensive football. In looking at it, I don’t really pay much attention to that.”
(on if he uses that example to tell players that they have to be careful in what they say) “Any more, the regular season provides that as well as the Super Bowl. In other words, the weekly media availability, the weekly press conferences, divisional round, NFC championship round, Super Bowl – this game is covered more than ever before. I think the players and coaches understand that – how to conduct themselves and to be humble. Certainly when you look at a team like Indianapolis, who we are getting ready to play, we have all of the respect in the world for what they have accomplished. As the season was unfolding, this was a team along with us, that hadn’t lost a game. Each week, whether they fell behind and came back and won, or whether they jumped out to a lead and won, you really measure the body of work. You look at what they’ve accomplished, and it’s been rare. It’s unique, and it provides a great challenge for us this weekend.”
(on how much he has changed the playbook each season) “Each year takes on a shape of its own based on your personnel. If you go back in 2006, we had players like Terrance Copper and Jamal Jones. They were receivers you wouldn’t be able to pull up right now. Each year based on what you are seeing in the offseason and in training camp, you evolve with your personnel. It’s important as anything to have flexibility as a coach to really look at who you have and who gives you the best chance to move the football. Deuce (McAllister) played extremely well in 2006, and I thought we played a pretty good brand of complimentary football offensively and defensively, and had success. In 2007 and 2008, we were not as successful, and this year we found more balance in the running game, and we are doing a better job of taking the ball away on defense. It’s just important to pay attention to the parts. In a guy like Robert Meachem’s development after he was selected and his emergence, those are all things. Some guys, it happens quicker, and with other guys, maybe it takes a little more time. You want to have some flexibility in regards to what you are asking those guys to do based on who is doing it.”
(on if he thinks having common opponents with the Colts, like the Jets, Patriots and Dolphins, help at all with this week) “I don’t know if that’s real significant. I do think it’s fair to say that having a full season of tape study and being able to reference formations, how they played offense against certain teams, all of that goes into a good game plan. The common-opponent aspect of it, I don’t know if it is as important. In other words, most importantly are looking closely at the cut-ups. When teams get to this point in time, all of us have tendencies and things that you do well. Just because you are now at this stage, or this portion of the season, the mistake sometimes is trying to change too much. There is a reason you’ve had success, and I think it’s important in this type of atmosphere that you give your players the things they do well and the things they are able to draw on in a game like this.”
QUOTES FROM NEW ORLEANS SAINTS PRESS CONFERENCE
HEAD COACH SEAN PAYTON
(Opening statement) “We just had a real brief practice. We came up here to the indoor facility, and got some good work in. Tomorrow will be Media Day for our guys, and then we will get into our routine on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and a walkthrough on Saturday. I think the schedule and the practice times have been posted.”
(on how the Saints’ day went) “Today went pretty smooth. The flight coming here wasn’t pretty long. We were able to get everyone into the hotel and get over to the University of Miami’s locker room to get the lay of the land. Guys got changed there, and we bused up here to get our practice in. We wanted to get a workout in today. We felt that was important. Overall, it went pretty good.”
(on how the club’s travel logistics went) “Actually, it was pretty smooth. When you get the itinerary down and the players are adaptable, it just involved us busing up here to practice. We knew going in this week that this would be the rain plan. The weather forecast for the balance of the week, after tomorrow, is pretty good, so these fields will dry up well. It was good that we had the (Dolphins’ indoor) bubble to use today.”
(on if the Saints will use the Dolphins’ indoor facility again) “The league has a schedule for both teams in the event of rain. This provides you the ability to practice and get your work done.”
(on how injury to DE Dwight Freeney affects the Saints game plan) “I wouldn’t be able to comment on a potential injury to someone on the other team. The focus for us is just getting a good week’s work done, and I wouldn’t want to speculate.”
(on taking the New Orleans job after working with both the Giants and Cowboys that have a lot of history) “In the early stages, what’s important is the message and the time spent with (General Manager) Mickey Loomis and ownership in regards to their commitment level. When you take over and get a new job, more often than not, it’s because they’ve had trouble in the past. I think what’s important is trying to quickly identify what’s kept the team from being successful. I’ve said this before, it’s also important to be able to identify who is having success. You’ve heard me talk about the Patriots, and paying close attention in our industry to organizations or teams like New England, and really studying closely the reason they were successful. It’s pretty good business practice to do that. You start with the team aspect of it, of trying to get players who put the team ahead of their own accomplishments, their own itineraries. That’s easier said than done. With that being said, that’s where we started in 2006 in trying to build this the right way. In the beginning, it had a lot to do with the people in the interview process, of feeling confident that there was a willingness to take the steps needed, the commitment needed to be successful. You trust your gut that way, and you start working.”
(on the Saints’ Pro Bowl players dressing as bellhops when the team arrived at the hotel) “We had a group of players come down early. The Pro Bowl players came down yesterday for last night’s game, and the league did a real good job of working through the logistics and getting the players there. It’s unique in that they’re arriving ahead of the team. You never lose track of the job you have. For about a half-hour today, those Pro Bowl players earned some pretty good tips with our players getting off the bus and handling the luggage. They did a good job. We’re always one to steal a pretty good idea. I think Bill Walsh a long time ago had a pretty good idea, and we just took it like one of his offensive plays and ran with it.”
(on what he identified from Anthony Hargrove from the DVD he sent out) “I think it started with the face-to-face interview. People in all walks of life, at times, can hit rock bottom or maybe exhaust their opportunities. There is part of us that wants to make sure you give someone a second chance, and it starts with evaluating the sincerity of someone eye-to-eye and having the belief or having the same confidence in that person that you would want for him to have in himself. Starting with the visit and laying out the structure for him, what we would expect and our expectation level. To his credit, daily he lives that. Daily he recognizes this opportunity. When that happens, there’s more of a reward or gratification in what you do than the second-round pick who comes into the league. In other words, it’s a good story, and it gives you confidence in the human spirit and what someone can change in their life despite the mistakes they’ve made prior. It’s easy to be proud of a guy like that. He’s had to battle and fight, and I think it’s a good message.”
(on what makes Drew Brees such an ideal person for the Saints and how much he means to the community) “He is an unselfish player. He’s extremely committed to his line of work. It’s hard in a 15-minute press conference to talk about his work ethic and the way he prepares. For the fans, the persons who live and eat New Orleans Saints football, for them to have someone like that as the quarterback of their team, who is also very talented, a very good athlete and very successful, they appreciate that, and they respect that. There is a combination of character and toughness, hard work and athleticism. All of those things that would draw somebody to a player like Drew Brees, and I think it’s unique.”
(on relationship between Drew Brees and Mark Brunell, and what was the Saints’ thinking in signing Brunell) “The one thing we were looking for was someone who could still play. It’s one thing to say that we want to have a mentor, and yet our job as coaches is to make sure we are providing that. So it started with the question: Do we feel like we have a vision for the player in Mark Brunell? We felt like his arm strength was still solid. There is a confidence level about him in the huddle and in practice that is somewhat contagious. That’s a good trait to have when you are someone who could be called upon at any time. Outside of the evaluation process, the other things were things we felt good about. He has been someone who has been a key figure on this team and has a key role. He still works and prepares just like you would expect for any one of your players each week. I had to get over the fact he was left-handed – there are some twists that go along with that. Behind him, we have a young guy named Chase Daniel, who is intriguing and has done some good things. We have a pretty good mixture of some experience as well as youth. It came down to skill set first in regards to Mark. We looked closely at it, and we were able to get him signed. He’s provided us leadership in regards to that, even as a No. 2.”
(on if they will bring back Brunell next season) “Next year seems like five years from now.”
(on if he’s concerned that defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ comments have become bulletin-board material) “No. Listen, I paid close attention to what was said. I think that I said this last week: Given the nature of Super Bowl week, I think that one of the first things you try to do defensively is try to hurry the quarterback, pressure the quarterback or disrupt the timing of the quarterback. I think it’s fairly common sense with defensive football. In looking at it, I don’t really pay much attention to that.”
(on if he uses that example to tell players that they have to be careful in what they say) “Any more, the regular season provides that as well as the Super Bowl. In other words, the weekly media availability, the weekly press conferences, divisional round, NFC championship round, Super Bowl – this game is covered more than ever before. I think the players and coaches understand that – how to conduct themselves and to be humble. Certainly when you look at a team like Indianapolis, who we are getting ready to play, we have all of the respect in the world for what they have accomplished. As the season was unfolding, this was a team along with us, that hadn’t lost a game. Each week, whether they fell behind and came back and won, or whether they jumped out to a lead and won, you really measure the body of work. You look at what they’ve accomplished, and it’s been rare. It’s unique, and it provides a great challenge for us this weekend.”
(on how much he has changed the playbook each season) “Each year takes on a shape of its own based on your personnel. If you go back in 2006, we had players like Terrance Copper and Jamal Jones. They were receivers you wouldn’t be able to pull up right now. Each year based on what you are seeing in the offseason and in training camp, you evolve with your personnel. It’s important as anything to have flexibility as a coach to really look at who you have and who gives you the best chance to move the football. Deuce (McAllister) played extremely well in 2006, and I thought we played a pretty good brand of complimentary football offensively and defensively, and had success. In 2007 and 2008, we were not as successful, and this year we found more balance in the running game, and we are doing a better job of taking the ball away on defense. It’s just important to pay attention to the parts. In a guy like Robert Meachem’s development after he was selected and his emergence, those are all things. Some guys, it happens quicker, and with other guys, maybe it takes a little more time. You want to have some flexibility in regards to what you are asking those guys to do based on who is doing it.”
(on if he thinks having common opponents with the Colts, like the Jets, Patriots and Dolphins, help at all with this week) “I don’t know if that’s real significant. I do think it’s fair to say that having a full season of tape study and being able to reference formations, how they played offense against certain teams, all of that goes into a good game plan. The common-opponent aspect of it, I don’t know if it is as important. In other words, most importantly are looking closely at the cut-ups. When teams get to this point in time, all of us have tendencies and things that you do well. Just because you are now at this stage, or this portion of the season, the mistake sometimes is trying to change too much. There is a reason you’ve had success, and I think it’s important in this type of atmosphere that you give your players the things they do well and the things they are able to draw on in a game like this.”
PRESS CONFERENCE COLTS - RB JOSEPH ADDAI - ingles
Super Bowl XLIV – Tuesday, February 1, 2010
QUOTES FROM INDIANAPOLIS COLTS PRESS CONFERENCE
RB JOSEPH ADDAI
(on the Saints’ comment about hitting Peyton Manning and getting into his head) “I haven’t heard it, so I really don’t know. With us, regardless of who’s playing, it’s really about what we can do. That’s what’s been the biggest key as far as us winning this year. It’s what we can do, how can we play different guys. It’s not about how we can adjust to them, it’s always about us. Always giving credit to the other team, because they do play hard. As far as the comment, I can’t really make any comment on that because I haven’t heard it.”
(on why Manning is so good at avoiding the rush) “Peyton has been doing it for a long time. It comes with experience, I think [he’s in] his twelfth season. I’ve been able to play with him for four years, and each year he’s been able to get that much smarter. It’s more of a feel thing in football. It’s not too much thinking, and that’s what Peyton’s been doing.”
(on the success of the running game against the Jets last week) “It’s always good when you get the running game going so you don’t always have to rely on the pass. Whenever [the] coaches call our number - when I say our, I mean the running back group, we do pretty well as far as answering it. You have a great player in Peyton Manning, so you want him to make a lot of decisions. He does a great job of making a lot of good decisions. It comes down to trying to get that ‘W,’ and that’s what we’ve been doing.”
(on how he handles the criticism of the running game as the starting running back) “I’m human, but at the same time, you have a chance every Sunday to go prove yourself. Do I feel like I bring something to the table? Yes, I feel like I bring something to the table. Numbers? The numbers are not where we want them, but I think when we do run the ball, we do have a good chance of making yardage or making something happen. That’s kind of how I look at it.”
(on if the Jets’ blitzing style allowed for the run game to be more successful last week) “ Not only with the Jets, but I think all year, we really just take advantage of what they give us. It’s just about taking what they give us. I feel like that’s what we’ve been doing. Me, Donald [Brown], Mike [Hart], Chad [Simpson], all of us have been taking advantage when we do get those opportunities. I feel like we will need the running game in this game coming up. It’s a huge game and we know they will bring their ‘A’ game, so we’ll be on top of our keys as far as running the ball.”
(on if he can imagine the team without offensive line coach Howard Mudd) “I haven’t looked that far, honestly. I know what Howard Mudd brings to the table, but I haven’t honestly looked that far. Right now we’re obviously focused on the Super Bowl, and that’s what we’re trying to win. When we get that far ahead, I think we kind of lose focus. Not having him, he would be missed because he brings a lot to the offensive line.”
(on what it would mean for the team to send Mudd out with a win) “Not only him, we want to play hard for all of the coaches. He’s been a guy, when he played, he played well. When he coached, he coached his guys well. This being his last game, you want to send him out the right way by going hard out there in the game, so I think regardless, it will still be the same each week. Stay with the game plan, but understand that we want to send our coach out with a bang.”
(on the difference between this Super Bowl and his first one three years ago) “I really can’t say, this is the first day down here. In [20]06, that was a long season, I was a rookie that time. This time, I’m older and it’s going faster. I think as you get older in life, things start going fast and you start to understand the concepts of it. Now, the first day here, today [compared to the] first day four years ago, I feel like I’m more comfortable right now.”
(on if he feels the running game doesn’t get the respect it deserves because of the dominance of the passing game) “I don’t know. It’s really how you look at it. If you just watch the game, and you say, ‘that’s a nice run, that’s a nice run,’ but you look on paper and you see something different. It’s really how you look at it and what we have to work with. Like I was saying earlier, you have a great player in Peyton Manning, so you want him to make a lot of decisions, and he does a great job. It always comes down to getting that ‘W,’ and that’s what we’ve been doing all year.”
(on the Saints defense’s ability to force turnovers and strip the ball) “If you watch the Saints all year, that’s what they try to do, get the ball out, knock the ball out. As far as us, we’re just trying to be aware, but not trying to change too many things. I think if we start focusing on one small part of the game, it throws us off. I think we’ve been doing a great job as far as protecting the ball and not giving the ball to the opponents. If we just understand what they bring to the table, then we’ll be fine. Not trying to press, not trying to make more things happen than usual.”
(on the importance of TE Dallas Clark to the offense) “Dallas is a team player. As good as he is, he’s a team player. He practices the way he plays in games. Just having him blocking, even him running routes, you have a lot of defenses scared of that, so it can open up the run game. You have to look at it in so many ways. Dallas is a valuable player, he’s a threat on offense. I think he brings a lot to the table.”
(on if he is staying in the same hotel room at the hotel a she did three years ago) “No I’m not. Last time, I was next to Cato [June], with the little door that you could open inside [the adjoining room]. I don’t have that door this time, so I’m not in the same room.”
(on if the game feels like a road trip, as the Colts played at Miami earlier in the season and at the same site for the Super Bowl in 2006) “It seems like it, but I know a lot of guys from the Saints have been to Miami before too [they played in Miami earlier this season], so I won’t say we have an advantage [just] because we played here in 2006. I feel like we don’t have to get used to what’s going on. I feel like that wouldn’t give us a edge as far as the game.”
(on if his stellar performance in the 2006 can carry over to this game) “Not really. That was ’06, that’s over with. The time that I’ll really talk about ’06 is when I retire. Regardless of what happened in ’06, if we lose this, we’ll feel bad. As far as ’06, yeah we won it, but I want another one. Me myself, I won’t think about it until I’m done with football.”
(on if it was difficult to get used to Manning’s audibles) “Honestly, I think him doing all that is easier than him being in the huddle, because when he gets in the huddle, he gives you about two or three plays that you have to remember. When he just calls out plays, there’s only one play. If you can understand that part, you have the play rather than try to get this long sentence. It’s a little bit easier as far as if you can get the gist of what’s going on, you’ll be fine.”
(on how much Manning actually changes the play, and how often he is bluffing) “95% of the time, it’s real, 95% of the time.”
(on how much pass protection he has done this year as compared to previous seasons) “I think more now. I remember one game where I probably had to block a linebacker 13 times or something. I think that’s one of my strengths. I won’t say I like it, but I think I do that pretty well. Like it or not, I don’t want to hit those guys, they’re too big [laughter]. This year I feel like I did more. I don’t complain about it, it’s just part of the game.”
(on playing in his second Super Bowl in four seasons) “I’m really blessed. I’m happy about it because a lot of people don’t get a chance. A lot of people go through their career and don’t get tot play in one Super Bowl, and me, I get a chance to play in my second Super Bowl. I’m happy about the situation that we’re in. Regardless, it’s still another game, that’s how we’re looking at it. We have a lot of distractions, we have a lot going on, but we still have a game, so we still, have to go out there and do what we’ve been doing.”
QUOTES FROM INDIANAPOLIS COLTS PRESS CONFERENCE
RB JOSEPH ADDAI
(on the Saints’ comment about hitting Peyton Manning and getting into his head) “I haven’t heard it, so I really don’t know. With us, regardless of who’s playing, it’s really about what we can do. That’s what’s been the biggest key as far as us winning this year. It’s what we can do, how can we play different guys. It’s not about how we can adjust to them, it’s always about us. Always giving credit to the other team, because they do play hard. As far as the comment, I can’t really make any comment on that because I haven’t heard it.”
(on why Manning is so good at avoiding the rush) “Peyton has been doing it for a long time. It comes with experience, I think [he’s in] his twelfth season. I’ve been able to play with him for four years, and each year he’s been able to get that much smarter. It’s more of a feel thing in football. It’s not too much thinking, and that’s what Peyton’s been doing.”
(on the success of the running game against the Jets last week) “It’s always good when you get the running game going so you don’t always have to rely on the pass. Whenever [the] coaches call our number - when I say our, I mean the running back group, we do pretty well as far as answering it. You have a great player in Peyton Manning, so you want him to make a lot of decisions. He does a great job of making a lot of good decisions. It comes down to trying to get that ‘W,’ and that’s what we’ve been doing.”
(on how he handles the criticism of the running game as the starting running back) “I’m human, but at the same time, you have a chance every Sunday to go prove yourself. Do I feel like I bring something to the table? Yes, I feel like I bring something to the table. Numbers? The numbers are not where we want them, but I think when we do run the ball, we do have a good chance of making yardage or making something happen. That’s kind of how I look at it.”
(on if the Jets’ blitzing style allowed for the run game to be more successful last week) “ Not only with the Jets, but I think all year, we really just take advantage of what they give us. It’s just about taking what they give us. I feel like that’s what we’ve been doing. Me, Donald [Brown], Mike [Hart], Chad [Simpson], all of us have been taking advantage when we do get those opportunities. I feel like we will need the running game in this game coming up. It’s a huge game and we know they will bring their ‘A’ game, so we’ll be on top of our keys as far as running the ball.”
(on if he can imagine the team without offensive line coach Howard Mudd) “I haven’t looked that far, honestly. I know what Howard Mudd brings to the table, but I haven’t honestly looked that far. Right now we’re obviously focused on the Super Bowl, and that’s what we’re trying to win. When we get that far ahead, I think we kind of lose focus. Not having him, he would be missed because he brings a lot to the offensive line.”
(on what it would mean for the team to send Mudd out with a win) “Not only him, we want to play hard for all of the coaches. He’s been a guy, when he played, he played well. When he coached, he coached his guys well. This being his last game, you want to send him out the right way by going hard out there in the game, so I think regardless, it will still be the same each week. Stay with the game plan, but understand that we want to send our coach out with a bang.”
(on the difference between this Super Bowl and his first one three years ago) “I really can’t say, this is the first day down here. In [20]06, that was a long season, I was a rookie that time. This time, I’m older and it’s going faster. I think as you get older in life, things start going fast and you start to understand the concepts of it. Now, the first day here, today [compared to the] first day four years ago, I feel like I’m more comfortable right now.”
(on if he feels the running game doesn’t get the respect it deserves because of the dominance of the passing game) “I don’t know. It’s really how you look at it. If you just watch the game, and you say, ‘that’s a nice run, that’s a nice run,’ but you look on paper and you see something different. It’s really how you look at it and what we have to work with. Like I was saying earlier, you have a great player in Peyton Manning, so you want him to make a lot of decisions, and he does a great job. It always comes down to getting that ‘W,’ and that’s what we’ve been doing all year.”
(on the Saints defense’s ability to force turnovers and strip the ball) “If you watch the Saints all year, that’s what they try to do, get the ball out, knock the ball out. As far as us, we’re just trying to be aware, but not trying to change too many things. I think if we start focusing on one small part of the game, it throws us off. I think we’ve been doing a great job as far as protecting the ball and not giving the ball to the opponents. If we just understand what they bring to the table, then we’ll be fine. Not trying to press, not trying to make more things happen than usual.”
(on the importance of TE Dallas Clark to the offense) “Dallas is a team player. As good as he is, he’s a team player. He practices the way he plays in games. Just having him blocking, even him running routes, you have a lot of defenses scared of that, so it can open up the run game. You have to look at it in so many ways. Dallas is a valuable player, he’s a threat on offense. I think he brings a lot to the table.”
(on if he is staying in the same hotel room at the hotel a she did three years ago) “No I’m not. Last time, I was next to Cato [June], with the little door that you could open inside [the adjoining room]. I don’t have that door this time, so I’m not in the same room.”
(on if the game feels like a road trip, as the Colts played at Miami earlier in the season and at the same site for the Super Bowl in 2006) “It seems like it, but I know a lot of guys from the Saints have been to Miami before too [they played in Miami earlier this season], so I won’t say we have an advantage [just] because we played here in 2006. I feel like we don’t have to get used to what’s going on. I feel like that wouldn’t give us a edge as far as the game.”
(on if his stellar performance in the 2006 can carry over to this game) “Not really. That was ’06, that’s over with. The time that I’ll really talk about ’06 is when I retire. Regardless of what happened in ’06, if we lose this, we’ll feel bad. As far as ’06, yeah we won it, but I want another one. Me myself, I won’t think about it until I’m done with football.”
(on if it was difficult to get used to Manning’s audibles) “Honestly, I think him doing all that is easier than him being in the huddle, because when he gets in the huddle, he gives you about two or three plays that you have to remember. When he just calls out plays, there’s only one play. If you can understand that part, you have the play rather than try to get this long sentence. It’s a little bit easier as far as if you can get the gist of what’s going on, you’ll be fine.”
(on how much Manning actually changes the play, and how often he is bluffing) “95% of the time, it’s real, 95% of the time.”
(on how much pass protection he has done this year as compared to previous seasons) “I think more now. I remember one game where I probably had to block a linebacker 13 times or something. I think that’s one of my strengths. I won’t say I like it, but I think I do that pretty well. Like it or not, I don’t want to hit those guys, they’re too big [laughter]. This year I feel like I did more. I don’t complain about it, it’s just part of the game.”
(on playing in his second Super Bowl in four seasons) “I’m really blessed. I’m happy about it because a lot of people don’t get a chance. A lot of people go through their career and don’t get tot play in one Super Bowl, and me, I get a chance to play in my second Super Bowl. I’m happy about the situation that we’re in. Regardless, it’s still another game, that’s how we’re looking at it. We have a lot of distractions, we have a lot going on, but we still have a game, so we still, have to go out there and do what we’ve been doing.”
PRESS CONFERENCE COLTS - QB PEYTON MANNING - Ingles
Super Bowl XLIV – Monday, February 1, 2010
QUOTES FROM INDIANAPOLIS COLTS PRESS CONFERENCE
QB PEYTON MANNING
(on developing an offensive rhythm with new wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie) “Well those guys have done a great job improving throughout the season and they have had a lot of help. Our receivers Coach Clyde Christensen has done a great job developing those players. Reggie Wayne’s been an excellent veteran leader for them in the wide receivers room. Those guys, as individuals, have improved. Pierre, I think, utilized his year last year, kind of a redshirt year if you will, and got comfortable with the offense, so he was ready to go when called upon this year. And Austin, for a rookie, utilized his time in mini camps and in our summer school sessions and training camp and was ready to play. But you never know how a guy is going to respond when the lights come on. Both those guys just have a confident look in their eyes. The game has never appeared too big for them, never overwhelmed them. And certainly the timing that I have with those guys has improved through the season through repetition.”
(on the difficulty for those receivers in learning the offense) “Well I think repetitions and experience have become your best teacher. The fact that those guys were starters and playing a ton of snaps, really started with Week 2 after Anthony Gonzalez was injured. That has just paid great dividends for them.”
(on his admiration for what Brees has meant to the New Orleans community) “What Drew, and really the entire Saints team have meant to that community, has been extremely impressive. Being a fellow New Orleanian, I certainly appreciate it. Eli appreciates that. Eli and I both give back, charity-wise to New Orleans. The players that live there, guys that aren’t from there, Drew’s from Texas, other players from all over the United States, that they now play for the Saints have adopted that city as their hometown. Those guys do a lot of things for that city, a lot of community activities. Sean Payton is great that way. You certainly appreciate that, people kind of adopting a city as their hometown, putting their monies and efforts behind it. Drew has spearheaded that. Has been the leader of that team on the field and off the field and I certainly appreciate that. And certainly the city of New Orleans appreciates it.”
(on being a student of the game and what in-game adjustments he makes between possessions) “Well the one thing, since we don’t huddle on the field, we are a no huddle offense, we have to use that time on the sidelines to communicate. And really what I try to do is gain information from Reggie and Pierre, Austin, Dallas, talk to them. I really think it is important for those guys to be assertive and communicate. Tell me what is going on out there. Make suggestions, and real suggestions. Not just ‘hey, I’m open. Throw it to me every time.’ Which is what most receivers say. But, ‘hey, this is a route I can beat this guy on. Don’t call this route, he is covering this one well.’ It has been healthy communication. I can’t tell you how many times we have used a conversation in the second quarter, that comes back up in the third or fourth quarter for a critical play. But you are constantly adjusting. Defenses are constantly doing different things so you better be on your toes. But the main thing is being on the same page with your wide receivers.”
(on the possibility of satisfying critics by winning a second Super Bowl) “I certainly don’t feel that way, don’t get into that. Our team is excited to be here. We certainly want to win this game. Our experience down here three years ago was a memorable one because we were fortunate to win the game. We feel fortunate to be back in this game. I have the same excitement that I had three years ago and just feel fortunate and grateful to have the opportunity to play. Your question had a lot of “I’s” phrased in it. I really think of it as a “we.” This is our opportunity to be here as a team. And I feel fortunate to have a number of guys on my team that you would love to go into any type of battle or game with. That is kind of my approach to it and I am sticking with that.”
(on having so many things be the same for the Colts on this Super Bowl trip) “The same weather it certainly appears to be true. I don’t know what that is, the Colts bringing rain down to Miami. People have asked does this give you an advantage staying at the same hotel or practicing at the same field. I certainly don’t think it does. I don’t think staying in the same hotel helps you stop Drew Brees’ offense or figure out where Darren Sharper is going to be. It still has a different feel. It is a new year because we have a new team, we have a new head coach. We have a number of new players. There are 25 guys that were on our team three years ago. Because we are so young, it makes the older guys like myself and Jeff Saturday get excited about being down here. This is not a bad place to have to come back three years later for a Super Bowl. It is a great venue, great football history here, so we are proud to be a part of it. That is kind of how we look at it. We are excited.”
(on not traveling with the team today to Miami) “I think like we have done all year, we have dealt with circumstances in a positive way. We were told what the expectations were for coming to the Pro Bowl. I got to fly on a private plane with six of my best friends and teammates. We had Ruth Chris Steakhouse food on the plane, took a private escort right into Miami, shook a few hands, had to wave, did one interview and made $45,000. I can think of some worse things to put yourself through. I will say, if it was just one guy, if it was just Jeff alone or Reggie by himself, I don’t think that guy would have. The fact that we were together, we felt like we had a team. We got to eat dinner after that. We enjoyed it, made it a positive. But we are glad everybody is here now and we are ready to go.”
(on if winning a second Super Bowl makes the Colts a dynasty) “I don’t view it that way. I don’t analyze it that way. I really analyze it kind of like the previous question, on a year-to-year basis and on a team basis. I have certainly enjoyed this season, playing on this particular team. As I mentioned, so many young players. We got a new head coach. It is exciting to learn more about him as a head coach in a leadership role throughout the season. We are hoping to finish off this season on a high note and make this team a special team. It is a different team than three years ago. It is a different team than last year. I think that is how football is today with the draft, with free agents. Every team has its own unique identity as this team does. It has been a fun ride so far this year.”
(on his initial reaction to New Orleans Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams’ comments last week) “I don’t have one. I didn’t hear it. I guess I have been playing long enough that I don’t have any reaction to a comment like that.”
(on if the Colts offense is itself when Dwight Freeney does not play) “I certainly am not ready to speculate on his situation. I am very hopeful that he will play. Dwight is a guy I have great confidence in since he has been here. He has special characteristics about him and I am counting on those this week. I think in order to win this game, if we are going to have a chance, it has got to be a team effort. Both offense, defense. Special teams have to do their job. We always feel as an offense, responsible and accountable to do our job. You hope Freeney and (Robert) Mathis make a play or Gary (Brackett) or Kelvin Hayden make a play. But at the same time we know we are on offense and we can control what we can control and that will be our philosophy on Sunday against just an excellent New Orleans Saints team.
(on the possibility of the game being a shootout if Freeney does not play) “I don’t know if it would be exciting for me because certainly when you watch the New Orleans Saints’ defense on film all year, one of the things you do notice is the scoreboard. You see every change of possession, you see the New Orleans Saints with seven more points, seven more points. It is not the best feeling and you understand just how explosive their offense can be. I think you have to be careful trying to get out of your rhythm in order to keep up with them. You still have to go play offense the way we have played all year, trying to be efficient. We have been excellent on third down. Been good in the redzone. Those things will be important this year. And for the most part we have protected the ball which might be the most important factor in this game. Like I said, I am not ready to do these ‘what if a guy can’t play’ questions at this point, but I do know that we are going to have to score points in this game if we are going to have a chance to win. But it is a tough task because their defense is unbelievably active. If there is a tipped ball, the ball is going to go in their hands, it is not going to hit the ground. They are around the ball.”
QUOTES FROM INDIANAPOLIS COLTS PRESS CONFERENCE
QB PEYTON MANNING
(on developing an offensive rhythm with new wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie) “Well those guys have done a great job improving throughout the season and they have had a lot of help. Our receivers Coach Clyde Christensen has done a great job developing those players. Reggie Wayne’s been an excellent veteran leader for them in the wide receivers room. Those guys, as individuals, have improved. Pierre, I think, utilized his year last year, kind of a redshirt year if you will, and got comfortable with the offense, so he was ready to go when called upon this year. And Austin, for a rookie, utilized his time in mini camps and in our summer school sessions and training camp and was ready to play. But you never know how a guy is going to respond when the lights come on. Both those guys just have a confident look in their eyes. The game has never appeared too big for them, never overwhelmed them. And certainly the timing that I have with those guys has improved through the season through repetition.”
(on the difficulty for those receivers in learning the offense) “Well I think repetitions and experience have become your best teacher. The fact that those guys were starters and playing a ton of snaps, really started with Week 2 after Anthony Gonzalez was injured. That has just paid great dividends for them.”
(on his admiration for what Brees has meant to the New Orleans community) “What Drew, and really the entire Saints team have meant to that community, has been extremely impressive. Being a fellow New Orleanian, I certainly appreciate it. Eli appreciates that. Eli and I both give back, charity-wise to New Orleans. The players that live there, guys that aren’t from there, Drew’s from Texas, other players from all over the United States, that they now play for the Saints have adopted that city as their hometown. Those guys do a lot of things for that city, a lot of community activities. Sean Payton is great that way. You certainly appreciate that, people kind of adopting a city as their hometown, putting their monies and efforts behind it. Drew has spearheaded that. Has been the leader of that team on the field and off the field and I certainly appreciate that. And certainly the city of New Orleans appreciates it.”
(on being a student of the game and what in-game adjustments he makes between possessions) “Well the one thing, since we don’t huddle on the field, we are a no huddle offense, we have to use that time on the sidelines to communicate. And really what I try to do is gain information from Reggie and Pierre, Austin, Dallas, talk to them. I really think it is important for those guys to be assertive and communicate. Tell me what is going on out there. Make suggestions, and real suggestions. Not just ‘hey, I’m open. Throw it to me every time.’ Which is what most receivers say. But, ‘hey, this is a route I can beat this guy on. Don’t call this route, he is covering this one well.’ It has been healthy communication. I can’t tell you how many times we have used a conversation in the second quarter, that comes back up in the third or fourth quarter for a critical play. But you are constantly adjusting. Defenses are constantly doing different things so you better be on your toes. But the main thing is being on the same page with your wide receivers.”
(on the possibility of satisfying critics by winning a second Super Bowl) “I certainly don’t feel that way, don’t get into that. Our team is excited to be here. We certainly want to win this game. Our experience down here three years ago was a memorable one because we were fortunate to win the game. We feel fortunate to be back in this game. I have the same excitement that I had three years ago and just feel fortunate and grateful to have the opportunity to play. Your question had a lot of “I’s” phrased in it. I really think of it as a “we.” This is our opportunity to be here as a team. And I feel fortunate to have a number of guys on my team that you would love to go into any type of battle or game with. That is kind of my approach to it and I am sticking with that.”
(on having so many things be the same for the Colts on this Super Bowl trip) “The same weather it certainly appears to be true. I don’t know what that is, the Colts bringing rain down to Miami. People have asked does this give you an advantage staying at the same hotel or practicing at the same field. I certainly don’t think it does. I don’t think staying in the same hotel helps you stop Drew Brees’ offense or figure out where Darren Sharper is going to be. It still has a different feel. It is a new year because we have a new team, we have a new head coach. We have a number of new players. There are 25 guys that were on our team three years ago. Because we are so young, it makes the older guys like myself and Jeff Saturday get excited about being down here. This is not a bad place to have to come back three years later for a Super Bowl. It is a great venue, great football history here, so we are proud to be a part of it. That is kind of how we look at it. We are excited.”
(on not traveling with the team today to Miami) “I think like we have done all year, we have dealt with circumstances in a positive way. We were told what the expectations were for coming to the Pro Bowl. I got to fly on a private plane with six of my best friends and teammates. We had Ruth Chris Steakhouse food on the plane, took a private escort right into Miami, shook a few hands, had to wave, did one interview and made $45,000. I can think of some worse things to put yourself through. I will say, if it was just one guy, if it was just Jeff alone or Reggie by himself, I don’t think that guy would have. The fact that we were together, we felt like we had a team. We got to eat dinner after that. We enjoyed it, made it a positive. But we are glad everybody is here now and we are ready to go.”
(on if winning a second Super Bowl makes the Colts a dynasty) “I don’t view it that way. I don’t analyze it that way. I really analyze it kind of like the previous question, on a year-to-year basis and on a team basis. I have certainly enjoyed this season, playing on this particular team. As I mentioned, so many young players. We got a new head coach. It is exciting to learn more about him as a head coach in a leadership role throughout the season. We are hoping to finish off this season on a high note and make this team a special team. It is a different team than three years ago. It is a different team than last year. I think that is how football is today with the draft, with free agents. Every team has its own unique identity as this team does. It has been a fun ride so far this year.”
(on his initial reaction to New Orleans Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams’ comments last week) “I don’t have one. I didn’t hear it. I guess I have been playing long enough that I don’t have any reaction to a comment like that.”
(on if the Colts offense is itself when Dwight Freeney does not play) “I certainly am not ready to speculate on his situation. I am very hopeful that he will play. Dwight is a guy I have great confidence in since he has been here. He has special characteristics about him and I am counting on those this week. I think in order to win this game, if we are going to have a chance, it has got to be a team effort. Both offense, defense. Special teams have to do their job. We always feel as an offense, responsible and accountable to do our job. You hope Freeney and (Robert) Mathis make a play or Gary (Brackett) or Kelvin Hayden make a play. But at the same time we know we are on offense and we can control what we can control and that will be our philosophy on Sunday against just an excellent New Orleans Saints team.
(on the possibility of the game being a shootout if Freeney does not play) “I don’t know if it would be exciting for me because certainly when you watch the New Orleans Saints’ defense on film all year, one of the things you do notice is the scoreboard. You see every change of possession, you see the New Orleans Saints with seven more points, seven more points. It is not the best feeling and you understand just how explosive their offense can be. I think you have to be careful trying to get out of your rhythm in order to keep up with them. You still have to go play offense the way we have played all year, trying to be efficient. We have been excellent on third down. Been good in the redzone. Those things will be important this year. And for the most part we have protected the ball which might be the most important factor in this game. Like I said, I am not ready to do these ‘what if a guy can’t play’ questions at this point, but I do know that we are going to have to score points in this game if we are going to have a chance to win. But it is a tough task because their defense is unbelievably active. If there is a tipped ball, the ball is going to go in their hands, it is not going to hit the ground. They are around the ball.”
PRESS CONFERENCE COLTS - HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL - ingles
Super Bowl XLIV – Monday, February 1, 2010
QUOTES FROM INDIANAPOLIS COLTS PRESS CONFERENCE
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL
(On DE Dwight Freeney’s status) “He is healing. I think probably the best way to describe it is a third degree sprain. It is a lower ankle sprain. He is day to day.”
(On if Freeney has been in South Florida getting treatment) “He has, he came down I think on Friday.”
(On if Freeney is in a boot) “I am not sure about all the details. That’s about all I have to tell you at this time.”
(On how the game would be impacted in Freeney cannot play) “He’s a great player, obviously a very talented guy. Much like anything else that we’ve done, I mean there’ve been some guys from time to time that we’ve had to play without. If he can’t go, it’s kind of an old mantra that we’ve said time and time again; the next man is up.”
(On if he has confidence Freeney will heal quickly because of his previous injury recovery time) “Certainly he’s a quick healer.”
(On what it means to him as a coach to make it to the Super Bowl in his first year as head coach) “Well, I know it’s a very very unusual situation that occurred with our season and that kind of thing, particularly in my first year. The fact of the matter is I didn’t have to do it alone. We have a great staff of guys in the coaching staff, certainly an outstanding franchise administration organization, the owner, Bill Polian does a tremendous job in terms of personnel, he and Tom Telesco and Chris Polian, and the rest of the crew and we have great players that certainly makes a difference.”
(On if the team is approaching the game as if Freeney will not be playing) “Well, he hasn’t been practicing, so if he’s not practicing then obviously we’re preparing as if he’s not going to play and then if we happen to get an opportunity to get him in there, we’ll obviously do so.”
(On if Freeney is unable to play if DE Raheem Brock will step in) “We’ll do some kind of rotation, but obviously Raheem will be a big part of that.”
(On if he feels that the Rooney Rule was bypassed when he was hired by the Colts) “Do I think it bypassed the Rooney Rule? I don’t think so in this particular case. I am assuming that you’re referring to a number of different situations that have occurred across the League that someone has emphasized that point. But I think it is based on certainly getting minorities an opportunity to interview for the position. In my situation I had an opportunity to interview in a particular fairly lengthy amount of time as well. So no, I don’t think it bypassed the rule. I think the intent of it is to give certainly minorities an opportunity.”
(On if he feels the Rooney Rule is still viable and necessary) “I do. I think when you look at the difference between the League just in terms of the number of minorities in head coaching positions in 2002 and then today, I think you’d agree it’s certainly been helpful and effective.”
(On his faith and relationship with former coach Tony Dungy) “That would take me about a half hour to go through the whole thing, how about I pick out a little bit. Certainly there are a lot of similarities. He paved the way for me. Obviously because of the fact that we do kind of have the same coaching style, we’re not guys that scream and yell. I may tend to raise my voice a little louder, but it’s more to encourage, more so than anything else and for instruction. His demeanor and the way he handled the situations during the course of the game has made it possible for guys like me to coach and for people not to consider our style of coaching as a negative because he won with it and won consistently. We certainly are thankful to him for that. How much do I talk to him? Often, but often times it’s not about football. We talk about faith, from spiritual matters, family; as a matter of fact, he and I had a long conversation today about Eric and his recruiting trip. He’s looking at different institutions that he’s interested in. Eric is a senior in high school, so we had a long conversation about his choices.”
(On if he thinks the Colts running game has been underrated) “One thing that I want to make certain so that you get a sense of me; I am pretty authentic, I am pretty straight forward. If you look at our numbers, our numbers have not been good. We have been either 31st or 32nd throughout the entire year, so for me to tell you that’s a figment of someone’s imagination, that’s not the case. It’s an area we know needs improving, we work on constantly and an area of emphasis, but I do think there are certain times in certain ball games, like the last one that we played, where we have been effective. So it’s not consistently ineffective, we just haven’t been consistently effective.”
(On the potential retirement of OL Coach Howard Mudd) “I think that obviously it’s pretty significant anytime that you have the opportunity to draw conclusion to your career in terms of coaching on the biggest stage there is in team-oriented sports. Howard has been a guy that has given a lot to our profession. He is exceptional at what he does. He’s also got great passion for what he does and that certainly spills over into our team and in our linemen and many other areas. I take him for his word. He says that this is it for him and we certainly take that to be the case. Howard is usually straightforward. He doesn’t cut any corners with you. He’s going to tell you like it is.”
(On if the experience of a South Florida Super Bowl is a benefit to the Colts) “Well, you know it certainly does give you a little less trepidation because it’s not new to them in terms of surroundings, but that is only not new to a portion of our team. There are only 25 of our guys who have had that experience. Some of them, I think, it will rub off on some of the younger guys because they will be able to give them some direction and things of that nature. But it doesn’t give you any real advantages. There are no guarantees involved. Simply because you have been some place on occasion or you play at home or play away, whatever it might be, it doesn’t give you any guarantees. I think that’s certainly been quite evident. I talk to our guys about it, the fact that we went on the road numerous times in foreign territory under tough conditions, be it whether or field conditions or whatever it might be, and you would say the home team has an advantage but we were able to come away with a win. This is no different. It’s a neutral site. Simply because we have a portion of our team that has been here doesn’t give us any real advantages.”
(On how WR Pierre Garcon has handled the attention and in particular the problems in Haiti) “It’s been very difficult for him obviously. And particularly when the earthquake first occurred, he did not know the well being of his family. All of those things were up in the air. He could not communicate with them because obviously all of the cell phone towers were out and etcetera. There was a long period of time there where there was a lot of uncertainty in his life and although his immediate family is not located there, he has several cousins, uncles, so on and so forth that he was concerned about. But they were able to make contact with some. I am not certain that all have been contacted as of yet. But he’s done a tremendous job I think of handling it. It’s very, very tough, he is an extremely focused young man, but never the less, I think he has kind of used this to spur him on a little bit and maybe to bring a little bit more attention to Haiti to help in some fundraising efforts.”
(On if the game plan will be affected by rain) “We will not change much due to the weather obviously. We certainly will get prepared for it just in case we have to deal with some of the same issues we dealt with last time. It looks like it may rain a little bit during the course of the week so we will have an opportunity to practice in it, but our game plan won’t change much in that regard.”
(On the role TE Dallas Clark blocking) “I think that is one thing…he is known for catching the ball, he is known for certainly being able to run after the catch. He has made a number of big plays for us in the passing game. Often times people would think that is the only thing that he does, but the fact of the matter is he is a very capable blocker. He has a unique ability the move his feet and get leverage on his opponent and get himself in great position to get his job done. He’s not a guy that’s going to blow you off the ball consistently or anything of that nature. That’s not how he’s made up physically, but he is a technique conscience individual with great fundamentals and that’s what helps him.”
(On if TE Dallas Clark blocking in the Jets game helped the running game) “Within the game itself, obviously we were able to run the ball and run it effectively. And a lot of it had to do with the fact that he was able to handle his opponents with his blocking assignments.”
(On his thoughts of being an African American Head Coach in the Super Bowl) “I think because of the fact that is becoming less of a story shows you that obviously there is some progress being made. But I really do believe there are still a lot of things I think in terms of different thresholds and milestones to be crossed in that particular area. Particularly when you look at the administration across the League and obviously other positions across the League just in terms of personnel so on and so forth that there are also areas that the Rooney Rule is sort of focusing in on. But overall I just think that Tony (Dungy) and Mike Tomlin and Lovie Smith are great coaches that just so happen to be very proud of their heritage as well.”
(On if there was a focused effort to upgrade special teams) “Well that was one area we thought that was extremely important for us to improve upon so we focused in on trying to make certain that we did a number of things better in that area. Coverage teams, we had to make certain they were better. Obviously we had a change in terms of our punting position, so we had to put some emphasis in that area as well. (P) Pat McAfee has done a tremendous job and overall I think there is new energy, new life and the guys have certainly adapted well and have been able to be quite effective.”
(On what impresses him about DE Raheem Brock) “One of the things I think that those that have been watching our team play throughout the years, he’s not anyone that’s brand new. It’s not like he’s been unearthed as some unusual talent. The guy has made a lot of great plays throughout the years. Obviously against the Ravens, most recently, he had a couple big plays obviously last year against Houston, turned the games around with big hit and caused fumbles. He’s a guy that is very smart, he’s been around and he understands our defensive scheme extremely well. He’s highly motivated and that kind of experience, obviously that helps us in case Dwight cannot go. “
(On if the team has déjà vu being here) “I heard a couple guys getting off the plane, a couple of coaches saying déjà vu, just in terms of rain. During the course of the week when we were here last time it didn’t rain at all, but on game day it sort of changed a bit. I just think that whatever the conditions are we’re certainly looking forward to the challenge.”
(On if he has revisited to rest starters the last two games of the season) “No sir I have not revisited it. That’s the short answer. I think we’ve kind of moved beyond that. Our guys have handled it very well. Really our goal and aim was to make sure we were in the best possible position in that first ball game against Baltimore to play and play well with some enthusiasm and some freshness. I think we got that accomplished.”
QUOTES FROM INDIANAPOLIS COLTS PRESS CONFERENCE
HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL
(On DE Dwight Freeney’s status) “He is healing. I think probably the best way to describe it is a third degree sprain. It is a lower ankle sprain. He is day to day.”
(On if Freeney has been in South Florida getting treatment) “He has, he came down I think on Friday.”
(On if Freeney is in a boot) “I am not sure about all the details. That’s about all I have to tell you at this time.”
(On how the game would be impacted in Freeney cannot play) “He’s a great player, obviously a very talented guy. Much like anything else that we’ve done, I mean there’ve been some guys from time to time that we’ve had to play without. If he can’t go, it’s kind of an old mantra that we’ve said time and time again; the next man is up.”
(On if he has confidence Freeney will heal quickly because of his previous injury recovery time) “Certainly he’s a quick healer.”
(On what it means to him as a coach to make it to the Super Bowl in his first year as head coach) “Well, I know it’s a very very unusual situation that occurred with our season and that kind of thing, particularly in my first year. The fact of the matter is I didn’t have to do it alone. We have a great staff of guys in the coaching staff, certainly an outstanding franchise administration organization, the owner, Bill Polian does a tremendous job in terms of personnel, he and Tom Telesco and Chris Polian, and the rest of the crew and we have great players that certainly makes a difference.”
(On if the team is approaching the game as if Freeney will not be playing) “Well, he hasn’t been practicing, so if he’s not practicing then obviously we’re preparing as if he’s not going to play and then if we happen to get an opportunity to get him in there, we’ll obviously do so.”
(On if Freeney is unable to play if DE Raheem Brock will step in) “We’ll do some kind of rotation, but obviously Raheem will be a big part of that.”
(On if he feels that the Rooney Rule was bypassed when he was hired by the Colts) “Do I think it bypassed the Rooney Rule? I don’t think so in this particular case. I am assuming that you’re referring to a number of different situations that have occurred across the League that someone has emphasized that point. But I think it is based on certainly getting minorities an opportunity to interview for the position. In my situation I had an opportunity to interview in a particular fairly lengthy amount of time as well. So no, I don’t think it bypassed the rule. I think the intent of it is to give certainly minorities an opportunity.”
(On if he feels the Rooney Rule is still viable and necessary) “I do. I think when you look at the difference between the League just in terms of the number of minorities in head coaching positions in 2002 and then today, I think you’d agree it’s certainly been helpful and effective.”
(On his faith and relationship with former coach Tony Dungy) “That would take me about a half hour to go through the whole thing, how about I pick out a little bit. Certainly there are a lot of similarities. He paved the way for me. Obviously because of the fact that we do kind of have the same coaching style, we’re not guys that scream and yell. I may tend to raise my voice a little louder, but it’s more to encourage, more so than anything else and for instruction. His demeanor and the way he handled the situations during the course of the game has made it possible for guys like me to coach and for people not to consider our style of coaching as a negative because he won with it and won consistently. We certainly are thankful to him for that. How much do I talk to him? Often, but often times it’s not about football. We talk about faith, from spiritual matters, family; as a matter of fact, he and I had a long conversation today about Eric and his recruiting trip. He’s looking at different institutions that he’s interested in. Eric is a senior in high school, so we had a long conversation about his choices.”
(On if he thinks the Colts running game has been underrated) “One thing that I want to make certain so that you get a sense of me; I am pretty authentic, I am pretty straight forward. If you look at our numbers, our numbers have not been good. We have been either 31st or 32nd throughout the entire year, so for me to tell you that’s a figment of someone’s imagination, that’s not the case. It’s an area we know needs improving, we work on constantly and an area of emphasis, but I do think there are certain times in certain ball games, like the last one that we played, where we have been effective. So it’s not consistently ineffective, we just haven’t been consistently effective.”
(On the potential retirement of OL Coach Howard Mudd) “I think that obviously it’s pretty significant anytime that you have the opportunity to draw conclusion to your career in terms of coaching on the biggest stage there is in team-oriented sports. Howard has been a guy that has given a lot to our profession. He is exceptional at what he does. He’s also got great passion for what he does and that certainly spills over into our team and in our linemen and many other areas. I take him for his word. He says that this is it for him and we certainly take that to be the case. Howard is usually straightforward. He doesn’t cut any corners with you. He’s going to tell you like it is.”
(On if the experience of a South Florida Super Bowl is a benefit to the Colts) “Well, you know it certainly does give you a little less trepidation because it’s not new to them in terms of surroundings, but that is only not new to a portion of our team. There are only 25 of our guys who have had that experience. Some of them, I think, it will rub off on some of the younger guys because they will be able to give them some direction and things of that nature. But it doesn’t give you any real advantages. There are no guarantees involved. Simply because you have been some place on occasion or you play at home or play away, whatever it might be, it doesn’t give you any guarantees. I think that’s certainly been quite evident. I talk to our guys about it, the fact that we went on the road numerous times in foreign territory under tough conditions, be it whether or field conditions or whatever it might be, and you would say the home team has an advantage but we were able to come away with a win. This is no different. It’s a neutral site. Simply because we have a portion of our team that has been here doesn’t give us any real advantages.”
(On how WR Pierre Garcon has handled the attention and in particular the problems in Haiti) “It’s been very difficult for him obviously. And particularly when the earthquake first occurred, he did not know the well being of his family. All of those things were up in the air. He could not communicate with them because obviously all of the cell phone towers were out and etcetera. There was a long period of time there where there was a lot of uncertainty in his life and although his immediate family is not located there, he has several cousins, uncles, so on and so forth that he was concerned about. But they were able to make contact with some. I am not certain that all have been contacted as of yet. But he’s done a tremendous job I think of handling it. It’s very, very tough, he is an extremely focused young man, but never the less, I think he has kind of used this to spur him on a little bit and maybe to bring a little bit more attention to Haiti to help in some fundraising efforts.”
(On if the game plan will be affected by rain) “We will not change much due to the weather obviously. We certainly will get prepared for it just in case we have to deal with some of the same issues we dealt with last time. It looks like it may rain a little bit during the course of the week so we will have an opportunity to practice in it, but our game plan won’t change much in that regard.”
(On the role TE Dallas Clark blocking) “I think that is one thing…he is known for catching the ball, he is known for certainly being able to run after the catch. He has made a number of big plays for us in the passing game. Often times people would think that is the only thing that he does, but the fact of the matter is he is a very capable blocker. He has a unique ability the move his feet and get leverage on his opponent and get himself in great position to get his job done. He’s not a guy that’s going to blow you off the ball consistently or anything of that nature. That’s not how he’s made up physically, but he is a technique conscience individual with great fundamentals and that’s what helps him.”
(On if TE Dallas Clark blocking in the Jets game helped the running game) “Within the game itself, obviously we were able to run the ball and run it effectively. And a lot of it had to do with the fact that he was able to handle his opponents with his blocking assignments.”
(On his thoughts of being an African American Head Coach in the Super Bowl) “I think because of the fact that is becoming less of a story shows you that obviously there is some progress being made. But I really do believe there are still a lot of things I think in terms of different thresholds and milestones to be crossed in that particular area. Particularly when you look at the administration across the League and obviously other positions across the League just in terms of personnel so on and so forth that there are also areas that the Rooney Rule is sort of focusing in on. But overall I just think that Tony (Dungy) and Mike Tomlin and Lovie Smith are great coaches that just so happen to be very proud of their heritage as well.”
(On if there was a focused effort to upgrade special teams) “Well that was one area we thought that was extremely important for us to improve upon so we focused in on trying to make certain that we did a number of things better in that area. Coverage teams, we had to make certain they were better. Obviously we had a change in terms of our punting position, so we had to put some emphasis in that area as well. (P) Pat McAfee has done a tremendous job and overall I think there is new energy, new life and the guys have certainly adapted well and have been able to be quite effective.”
(On what impresses him about DE Raheem Brock) “One of the things I think that those that have been watching our team play throughout the years, he’s not anyone that’s brand new. It’s not like he’s been unearthed as some unusual talent. The guy has made a lot of great plays throughout the years. Obviously against the Ravens, most recently, he had a couple big plays obviously last year against Houston, turned the games around with big hit and caused fumbles. He’s a guy that is very smart, he’s been around and he understands our defensive scheme extremely well. He’s highly motivated and that kind of experience, obviously that helps us in case Dwight cannot go. “
(On if the team has déjà vu being here) “I heard a couple guys getting off the plane, a couple of coaches saying déjà vu, just in terms of rain. During the course of the week when we were here last time it didn’t rain at all, but on game day it sort of changed a bit. I just think that whatever the conditions are we’re certainly looking forward to the challenge.”
(On if he has revisited to rest starters the last two games of the season) “No sir I have not revisited it. That’s the short answer. I think we’ve kind of moved beyond that. Our guys have handled it very well. Really our goal and aim was to make sure we were in the best possible position in that first ball game against Baltimore to play and play well with some enthusiasm and some freshness. I think we got that accomplished.”
lunes, 1 de febrero de 2010
Kurt Warner Retirement Press Conference - Ingles
Warner Opening Remarks:
“First of all, let me thank everyone for coming; thank everyone who’s watching out there in TV land. I’m not on the drama part of it as most of you know. So, as I’m sure many of you expect, I’m here to announce my retirement from the National Football League. Obviously, it has been 12 unbelievable years, 12 of the best years of my life. But I want everybody to know that I’m just as excited about the next 12. I’m excited about what lies in front of me. I’m excited about spending more time with my family and seeing what God is going to do next. I know you guys are going to have a lot of questions about why I made the decision and maybe reflecting on my career, but since this is the last time that I’m going to be up here in this kind of setting and kind of be able to write my own script, I just want to take an opportunity to say thanks to some of the people that were instrumental throughout my career because there is no way I could be up on this stage without so many other people in this process. As always, as it started back in 1999 when I was up on a podium holding up a trophy, the first thing I want to do is give thanks to God. My Lord Jesus brought me here. I know He brought me here for a purpose. It has been an amazing ride. I don’t think I could have dreamt that it would have played out like it has, but I have been humbled everyday that I’ve woken up the last 12 years and amazed that God would choose me to do what He’s given me the opportunity to do over 12 years. It’s not just the things that I’ve been able to do on the football field; not the successes, and the Super Bowls, and the wins and the losses, but it’s also been the opportunities that He’s given me off the football field. To have opportunities to impact people. To speak into people’s lives. To build relationships with people that would have never happened if it were not for this game and the opportunities that He gave me. Often times when I come up to do my interviews after games, you guys always see me bring my bible. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from reading this thing is that it’s a bunch of stories about average, ordinary people where God came in and did something extraordinary with them. To me, that’s exactly what He did in my life. I was an average, ordinary guy, working in a grocery store trying to make ends meet playing Arena Football. Then, God entered the equation and he’s done something pretty extraordinary over the last 12 years. That’s where my thanks always begins. I know I’m here because God placed me here. I know that He has brought us here for a purpose. Although the 12 years and the part playing on the football field is over, I know that he has many things in store for us as we move forward. I thank Him for that.
The second group of people I want to thank are these eight people right in front of me. I knew this part was going to be the hardest part, but I want all of them to come up here on stage with me for a minute if they would. I want to give you guys an opportunity to meet them and I want to say a few things to them because this has been my lifeline for the last 12 years and will continue to be from this moment forward. They’ve been such a blessing to me. I want to introduce them to you first. Starting with my oldest son, Zachery, and his cool shirt right here; then my oldest daughter Jesse, my son Kade, my daughter Jada Jo, my son Elijah, and then my twin girls Sienna and Sierra. Then, obviously, my beautiful wife Brenda who you have all seen a million times. Really what I want to do is just thank these guys because they have been the reason I’ve been able to do what I do and do it at the level that I’ve been able to do it at. They’ve given me the opportunity to leave every morning to go play the game that I love, but there are a lot of sacrifices that go with that. If I didn’t have this family and this support, there’s no chance that I would get the opportunity to do that. They’ve encouraged me, and I’ve appreciated that. They’ve laughed at me at times when I’ve thrown four or five interceptions, and I’ve appreciated that. Every day I come home and it doesn’t matter if we won or lost, if I’ve thrown interceptions or thrown touchdowns. The one thing that I always knew is that when I entered our door, when I stepped into our house, that none of that mattered to these guys. I can’t tell you what a blessing that is as a football player because there is so much that goes on in our lives, there is so much that happens in the media, so many ups and downs, so many people that love you one day and hate you the next day. There’s nothing better than to be able to walk into your home and know that at least eight people there still love you every day no matter what you’ve done. No matter whether you’ve won or lost. To you guys, I just say I love you. I thank you. It’s been a fun ride and I look forward to the rest of our lives together. Thank you guys. You guys are awesome.
Next I want to say thank you to the three organizations that had a hand in my career. Obviously, the St. Louis Rams, Georgia Frontiere, and Stan Kroenke there who gave me my initial opportunity. To the New York Giants and the Mara family and the Tisch family there. And obviously here in Arizona the Bidwill family because without them, there would be no Kurt Warner. Without each one of them giving me an opportunity when no one else would. I think that’s one of the amazing things about this whole story is that it took three different teams taking a chance on me at three different times, in three different situations, to allow me to be standing up here and to have accomplish what I have accomplished. I want them to know, if they’re watching, or if somebody goes back and tells them, how much I appreciate each one of those organizations and what they did for me. I specifically want to thank the head coaches that were involved as well. Dick Vermeil, who gave me my initial opportunity, Mike Martz, Tom Coughlin, Denny Green who was here, and also coach Whiz (Ken Whisenhunt) who is standing over here, because again it took those five men giving me an opportunity that no one else would, to allow me to be able to do what God has gifted me to do. I truly appreciate all of you guys and appreciate what you’ve done for me. I want to say thanks to my teammates. I know I have a few there in the back and hopefully a few more that are out there watching. I learned very early in this process that no one man has success without a lot of great men around him. I learned as a quarterback that you can never have success without great players around. I’ve been so fortunate over the years, no matter where I’ve been, to be surrounded by amazing players that have made my job easy. I get to go home and I’ll get to look at the record books and I’ll get to see videos of games that we played in and talk football for a long time. I know the only reason any of those things occurred is because I had amazing teammates. I really just want to thank them for giving me the opportunity to play with them, to get to know them. The one thing you know is that you’re always going to miss Sunday afternoons for a few hours, but my wife and I have talked about it, that the thing that you’re probably going to miss more than anything is the five, six hours a day you spend in that locker room with those guys. They become your extended family. Obviously, you go on road trips. You spend hours and hours with them getting to know them. That’s going to be the hardest thing to replace is to replace that time that I got to spend with my teammates and to replace those relationships that, although they’ll stay in contact, they won’t be the same degree, the same level, that I’ve had over the last 12 years. To all of my teammates, I greatly appreciate you. I thank you for everything and allowing me to come along with you guys and accomplish some of the great things that we’ve accomplished together.
Lastly, I want to say thank you to all of you out there. All of the media. To the fans. To everybody out there that has supported me over the years. I can’t say thank you enough for the way that you’ve respected me, respected what I believe in, the way I play the game, the way you supported me over the years because you see in this business that a lot of times it can go one way or another. Especially when it comes to the media, no offense guys, but you know that you can get a rap one side or the other. What I know in my 12 years is that the media has greatly respected me and treated me fairly in just about every situation that I can remember. I know that’s rare and it’s unique. I just want to say thank you to all of those out there that have treated me that way because it’s made it fun, it’s made it enjoyable. I’ve enjoyed being able to be me and to represent what I think is most important. Everybody out there has respected that. The fans all across the country, wherever they may be, I just say thanks to you guys because we don’t get to do what we do without all of you guys supporting us and enjoying what we do. I thank you for supporting me, supporting my foundation, supporting my family for these last 12 years because it’s been incredible. We couldn’t have done it all without you.
The last thing I want to say—before we get into questions and answers—is the one thing I always want to leave people with when I thought about my career ending and getting to this point, is I wanted people to remember that anything is possible; that, with my story, with the way it came about, the fact that it took me so long to get here, is that I know there are a lot of people that gravitate to that part of it; that understand the struggles; that understand when it takes a little bit longer to try to achieve your goal; when there are moments that you want to give up and you question whether you should continue to follow your dream. I think that’s one of the reasons that God has placed me up here and has allowed me to do what I do is to encourage people out there that although sometimes it doesn’t look really bright and things don’t go in your favor and there are moments you want to give up, I think I’m a living example of when you make yourself useful, when you continue to work hard, when you continue to believe in yourself, and obviously as I said before, when God wants to use you in a special way, that anything is possible. I hope that when people think back on my career, maybe it’s just over the next couple weeks as they reflect on it or maybe it’s years to come, that that’s what they remember more than anything else. Not the way I threw the football, not particular games that I won, but that they remember that here’s a guy that believed, that worked hard and, although things didn’t always go in his favor, he continued to press through and with his faith in himself and his faith in God, he was able to accomplish great things. That’s what I want everybody to remember. Again, I thank everybody that has been involved. I can’t thank everybody personally, but I wanted to take a chance while I had this platform to thank those people that were so instrumental. But everybody along the way, all the coaches, all the players, all the people that supported me and encouraged me, I thank you as well. God bless you guys. I’ll open it up for questions now.”
On if he had a moment of clarity after the season ended that made this a clear and obvious decision:
“There were a lot of times during the season where I really felt like this was it for me. Again, as I’ve always said, I never want to make an emotional decision. I never want to make that decision in the middle of the season, but what I’ve known is that over the last couple years (is) that God has been telling me that it’s getting closer and it’s getting closer. I knew that was a fact. Now, it was just figuring out when the right time was. It was probably halfway through the season where I really felt that tugging, that pulling, that this was probably going to be my last season. Again, I didn’t know for sure. I wanted to get away from it for a time, like I did last year, because I had moments last year that I thought the same thing—that I might be done—but I wasn’t away very long before I realized I wanted to come back and play. I wanted to give it that same opportunity this year and make sure that it wasn’t just something that was going on in my world that was pushing me in that direction. But, when I got away, it felt good. It felt right. As I said early on, I’m excited about what’s next, which isn’t something I’ve had before. Before, I was always looking and waiting for the next season. Now, I’m waiting for the next chapter. I’m excited about that part of it. The decision has been made over the weeks or so, but I had a pretty good idea probably for the last half of the season that this was the direction that I was leaning.”
On if the concussion he suffered in St. Louis this season was the final determining factor that helped him to know that it was time to walk away:
“The hit in St. Louis I think was part of the process. I think the one thing you always want from this game is you enjoy playing, you enjoy everything that comes with it, but you want to be able to walk away on your own terms, and specifically—physically. I have taken a lot of hits. I have been beat up a lot in my career. The one thing that I can say is that I have been very fortunate from that standpoint. I have not suffered a lot of serious injuries. I thank God for that. I think one of the things in deciding when to get out, when that time is, is being able to walk away without the game or your body dictating that to you. I think that every injury, specifically this year when I was already leaning in that direction, makes you think about; makes you contemplate it a little bit more. But, I won’t say that was the determining factor because I have felt that I have been very fortunate and very healthy throughout my career. There’s not anything that I leave this game saying, ‘I don’t know if I could have done it physically.’ All those things go into it.”
On what’s next in his life:
“As far as what’s next, I think there’s a lot of things next. Obviously, I talked about my family. I’m going to watch them play football on Saturday mornings. I’m going to watch them do what they do. I’m going to watch them grow. I’m going to enjoy their life now and all the things that I’ve missed over the last 12 years. Professionally, I don’t know. There’s a lot of things I want to do. I know that ministry will be a part of it. I’ll spend time preaching. I’ll spend time speaking and hopefully being able to motivate people with my life story like hopefully I have with the way I have played the game. I like to write. I’m interested in doing some of that. My charity is going to be huge. It’s something I want to continue. I want to continue to work on impacting people’s lives. That’s what we’re all about. That’s what we believe in. We have been given an amazing opportunity to do that. We’re going to further those efforts as well. And then, I would like football to be a part of it. What that means, I don’t know. I don’t know if that means television, radio, or broadcast. I don’t know. I don’t really know what that means. I love the game. I think I have a lot to offer. I enjoy the game, but a lot of that is going to be determined by the time constraints and what it means for me in the short term, because these eight people up here are my priority. I want to make them my priority for a little while yet. So, if we can do some of those other things and we have some opportunities, those are the things that I would gravitate to. Those are the things that I’m passionate about. We’re going to leave the door open and see what comes our way, what opportunities come our way, and try to make the best decisions for us moving forward.”
On what it means to him to know he can still play at a high level when retiring:
“I think that’s one of those ultimate questions when you’re getting to this point. You never want to leave too early, and you never want to stay too long. It’s hard to try to determine when that is, but there is something to be said, I think, for being able to leave on your own terms and playing at the level that you want to play at. I don’t know if I could have handled playing at a lesser level. I think that would have frustrated me. It was funny, I was talking to my agent last night, and that was one of the things he said. One of the things that bothers him a little bit is that he knows at what level I can still play, and he hates that I’m leaving the game being able to play at such a high level. I flipped it back on him and said ‘I understand what you’re saying, but I also know that, had I come back this year and not performed at that level, that you would have been saying to yourself, ‘man, I wish he would have got out one year earlier, where he was playing at a high level.’ So I think there is a Catch-22. That’s something that I’m proud of. I’ve played 12 years, I’m at 38 years old and I believe I was playing at as high a level now and over the last two years as I was playing at when I first got into this league. That’s something I’m proud of. That’s something that I’m happy to say as I leave the game; that I had the opportunity to play at that level and had the opportunity to be in a Super Bowl last year, to be in the playoffs again this year, and compete at the highest level in the greatest game there is. That factors in a little bit. I’m just happy that it all coincided, that I’m still playing at a high level when I knew it was the right time to leave. I’m happy to say that nobody can say there was a period of time in there, or at the end of his career, where he didn’t play up to a certain standard.”
On if he worries about whether he will wish he had played one more year:
“I don’t. I think that’s one of the great things about where I’m at right now—is I don’t. I don’t think about playing another game. I don’t worry about those things and (about) thinking back, even next year. I’m sure there are going to be moments where you miss it, you want to be out there and you know that you can still do it, but as of right now, there is no question in my mind that I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. There is no question that I’m leaving at the right time, and because I know that, it’s easy for me to walk away and say that is what it is—a great chapter, a great period of my life that I will never forget—and it’s meant so much to me. But, I don’t worry one bit about looking back and wishing that I had played longer. I think it was the perfect time, and I’m ready.”
On if anyone tried to talk him into coming back to play one more season:
“There were definitely people that tried to talk me into coming back. Some people that are in this room, some close friends, obviously my agent, some teammates, a number of people that tried to talk me into coming back. It’s one of those things that, if I wasn’t sure, it would have been really hard to listen to them and be able to tell them that I’m retiring. But again, I prayed about it, I believed it, my wife and I talked about it, and I just felt it was the right time. So I could listen to them and I appreciated the fact that they wanted me back, and what I meant to them, what I meant to this team, and what I meant to this game; all of those things. It means a lot to me, but again, I can’t question the fact that I know it’s the right time, and because of that, it wasn’t that hard listening to them. It was more appreciative than anything. I knew that it was the right time.”
On the importance of the last three seasons in solidifying his Hall of Fame chances:
“I don’t know about the Hall of Fame, but I think it’s a book end to my career that I wanted. To start this game, in St. Louis, at the level that I did; to have all the success early, and then have some of the struggles in the middle of my career; I knew deep down how well I could still play. I knew what I could still offer. But the hardest thing would have been leaving the game having not had the opportunity to show people what I could still bring to the table. That’s what these last three years have meant to me. It’s given me an opportunity to show people the way I play the game. Just because there were some struggles or some things that didn’t go my direction in the middle of it, I wasn’t done. That’s been so important to me. I think it’s the stats and the things you accomplish on the football field, but I think more than anything, to be able to be a part of a Super Bowl team and to be able to be a part of my second Super Bowl team, was probably the one thing that I’ll hang onto more than anything else that I accomplished in this game. That was the thing that I’m most proud of—to be a factor in helping bring this organization, as well as the organization in St. Louis, to that level. That, to me, is a perfect book end to my career. I just don’t think it would have been the same. I think there would have been a lot of great things, a lot of things you could say—the story and how I got here—but I think these last three years have really finished the story and done it in a special way. A way that allows it to mean even more to me than just getting here. To play at this level, to be a part of that and to be able to leave this organization in better shape than when I got here, that’s what you always want. Everybody loves the stats and everybody loves the wins and losses, but what I’ve always believed is that I want to leave an organization where people, at least to some degree, feel indebted to what I was able to bring to the table, whether it was on the football field or off. I truly feel like each of the teams that I’ve been with, I’ve had the opportunity to do that. Maybe some in a smaller way, but that’s what I love about the three places that I’ve been, and having the opportunity to be in three places. I know people talk all the time about wanting to be in one place their whole career and establish that, and I think that would be cool. I think that would be an amazing accomplishment, especially in this day and age. But as with my whole story, it’s not until after the fact do I realize that I wouldn’t change a thing. To have the opportunities that I’ve had with the three organizations, specifically with the Rams and here with the Cardinals, has been incredible. It’s been amazing and it has allowed me to do some things that other guys never get the opportunity to do. I’ll cherish that. I will relish that fact. If any of that leads or adds to a Hall of Fame career, so be it. We know that’s for somebody else to decide, but I’ve enjoyed every minute and I’m appreciative for all the opportunities I’ve gotten, and specifically the opportunities to be a part of changing two organizations like I’ve been a part of, is the most special part of my career.”
On if there was ever a time during a difficult stretch of his career where he wanted to shout to the world about what was going on in his life:
“There are a lot of those times, because the one thing you understand in this business is that it’s such a huge business of perception. What certain people perceive about you becomes reality. That’s hard, because when you know differently, you want to go and tell everybody. You want to prove to everybody that what they perceive about you is not actually who you are or what you’re all about. So there were times, there were moments that I was tempted to say different things, but again, in my life I’ve seen that God continues to work things out. He continues to have a reason for everything that He’s done. It’s weird: after the second Super Bowl in St. Louis—the one we lost—I remember thinking about that game more than any other. How I lost an opportunity to win a second championship, yada yada yada and all these things. But over the course of time, I’ve come to realize that had I not lost that Super Bowl, I probably never would have been here in Arizona. It’s things like that that bring it all together for me. Sometimes things may not work out in your favor, they may not work exactly how you hoped that they would work out, but with my faith, I’ve always believed that God has a better plan. There is no question in my mind that He had a better plan. So, although there were those moments of frustration where I wanted to share different things with the world, the better plan for me was to keep believing, keep following Jesus, keep doing what I do and believe that, as always, He was going to work it out. And each and every time, He has. I know with this newest term that He is going to work it out in an amazing way, and I look forward to that.”
On if he allowed himself to consider the void he would leave with the Cardinals by retiring:
“Yes, you do. I don’t think you can help but think about that. I think that’s one of the hardest parts of the decision—knowing an organization, a coaching staff, teammates, how they’ve counted on you, what a big piece of the puzzle you are—there’s no question that’s the hardest part for me. You never want to leave anybody in a difficult situation, but at the same time, I had to weigh the fact of, could I and was I willing to bring everything that this organization and this team has expected of me for the five years that I’ve been here? Could I continue to bring to that table? I had to weigh the two. Maybe I could come back and fill that void physically, but mentally and emotionally, was I in a situation where I could bring what I think this game deserves and what I think this organization and my teammates deserve, from that standpoint, from a leadership and a quarterbacking standpoint? That’s where I think the decision got easier for me. I don’t think I’m willing to do that anymore. I think the last couple of years have been difficult. When I started leaning in this direction in the middle of the season, it was a struggle every week to live up to the standard that we’ve set here and that I’ve set for myself. So that’s where it became easier for me. I knew it would be a disservice to me and to everybody around me if I came back specifically to fill that void physically, and I couldn’t do what I needed to do from all the other standpoints. That’s why I felt like, you understand the one side of it, but to me, the other side is more important. If I’m here, I’ve got to be willing to give everything that I’ve always given. It just came to the point in time where I just don’t know if I can do that, physically or mentally the way that I always have.”
On if he and his family will continue to live in Phoenix:
“I think we will, at the time being. We have no desire to leave. We love the community. We love living here. Our kids love it here. We love raising our kids here. We’ve just become so engrossed in the community here that there is absolutely nothing that makes us think about going anywhere else. Does that mean that as we take these steps into the next part of my life that God doesn’t call us somewhere else to do something else? I can’t say that. I don’t know at this point in time, but right now, Phoenix is definitely home for us. We plan on it staying that way for at least awhile.”
On how things came together here to produce what’s happened the last three years:
“Anytime you have success, a lot of things have to come together. I don’t know where you start in the process, but for me, obviously, coming here started before Coach [Ken] Whisenhunt got into this position, but I think things started to change when the organization made the decision to hire Coach Whiz; his ability to bring an attitude, bring a mentality here, that I was used to, his willingness to give me an opportunity that I don’t know if anyone else would. That’s one of the things that I told him in this process—how much I appreciate the fact that he gave me another opportunity. I don’t know if there was any other coach out there that would have done that. So I think that was a huge step early in the process. Then, I think coming together and meshing all our skills, all the people that we had in place here, was huge. I’ve been around coaches that have a mindset and believe it should be done one way, and that’s all they listen to. A credit to Coach Whiz and his staff here is that they’ve never taken that approach. I know when he came here, he wanted to be like three tight ends and two backs and run the ball every snap. I was so completely opposite of that. But what I’ve loved about this process has been our ability to come together, with my skills, with his skills, with the team that we had, and mesh that together to do some great things and to accomplish some great things. That’s always a neat part of the process. When you’re on the inside, you understand what it took to get to where we’re at today; the process, the work, the give and take on everybody’s part to get to this point. That’s a huge part of the reward, that you just didn’t step into this place and everything was set up, and you just rode it to the Super Bowl. There was a lot of work. There was a lot of effort. There was a lot of give and take. Sometimes it was screaming matches. Sometimes it was each of us trying to beat into the other one what we believed in and what we wanted to do. But to me, that was fun. That was an awesome part of the process. Not only did I get to find out what kind of coach he is, what he believes in, his ability to make different things work, but I got to find out about the men that were behind it as well. To me, that’s always the best part, is that we developed a friendship that went beyond X’s and O’s and went beyond handing the football off or throwing the football. It went beyond that. That’s what I love. Maybe it’s because I’m older than he is, because we’re so close in age, it was easier to mesh. That’s a part of the process that I’ve really enjoyed, getting to know the coaches and working, probably, at a different level than most players; being able to have a hand in some of the coaching and the developing process, and getting to know these coaches like I don’t think very many players get the opportunity to know them. I count that as a huge blessing and a great opportunity for me. I think it paid huge dividends in the success that we had. So many parts were willing to come together, sacrifice where they needed to, needed to be strong-headed in certain areas, and through that, we trudged this path together. It’s something that I’ll never forget.”
On if he feels young now that he is an ex-player:
“Give me a couple more weeks. I think there is something to the fact that, when you step away from the game and the expectations that you have for yourself physically, you can exhale a little bit and you can take a deep breath. It doesn’t hurt as much, or there is not as much of a strain on you, because you know that, just for instance, working out. It was hard for me, over the past 12 years, to take a day off from working out, because I felt an obligation to stay at a particular level to play this game. Now it’s a simple burden like that, where maybe I want to work out for 20 minutes a day. Maybe I want to sit in front of the couch and eat bon-bons. Whatever it is, there is a release, I think, from that. Knowing the standard that I set and what it took to stay at that level, that when you finally make this decision, there is a relaxing or an exhaling that you can do that makes you feel a little bit younger than you may have been otherwise.”
“First of all, let me thank everyone for coming; thank everyone who’s watching out there in TV land. I’m not on the drama part of it as most of you know. So, as I’m sure many of you expect, I’m here to announce my retirement from the National Football League. Obviously, it has been 12 unbelievable years, 12 of the best years of my life. But I want everybody to know that I’m just as excited about the next 12. I’m excited about what lies in front of me. I’m excited about spending more time with my family and seeing what God is going to do next. I know you guys are going to have a lot of questions about why I made the decision and maybe reflecting on my career, but since this is the last time that I’m going to be up here in this kind of setting and kind of be able to write my own script, I just want to take an opportunity to say thanks to some of the people that were instrumental throughout my career because there is no way I could be up on this stage without so many other people in this process. As always, as it started back in 1999 when I was up on a podium holding up a trophy, the first thing I want to do is give thanks to God. My Lord Jesus brought me here. I know He brought me here for a purpose. It has been an amazing ride. I don’t think I could have dreamt that it would have played out like it has, but I have been humbled everyday that I’ve woken up the last 12 years and amazed that God would choose me to do what He’s given me the opportunity to do over 12 years. It’s not just the things that I’ve been able to do on the football field; not the successes, and the Super Bowls, and the wins and the losses, but it’s also been the opportunities that He’s given me off the football field. To have opportunities to impact people. To speak into people’s lives. To build relationships with people that would have never happened if it were not for this game and the opportunities that He gave me. Often times when I come up to do my interviews after games, you guys always see me bring my bible. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from reading this thing is that it’s a bunch of stories about average, ordinary people where God came in and did something extraordinary with them. To me, that’s exactly what He did in my life. I was an average, ordinary guy, working in a grocery store trying to make ends meet playing Arena Football. Then, God entered the equation and he’s done something pretty extraordinary over the last 12 years. That’s where my thanks always begins. I know I’m here because God placed me here. I know that He has brought us here for a purpose. Although the 12 years and the part playing on the football field is over, I know that he has many things in store for us as we move forward. I thank Him for that.
The second group of people I want to thank are these eight people right in front of me. I knew this part was going to be the hardest part, but I want all of them to come up here on stage with me for a minute if they would. I want to give you guys an opportunity to meet them and I want to say a few things to them because this has been my lifeline for the last 12 years and will continue to be from this moment forward. They’ve been such a blessing to me. I want to introduce them to you first. Starting with my oldest son, Zachery, and his cool shirt right here; then my oldest daughter Jesse, my son Kade, my daughter Jada Jo, my son Elijah, and then my twin girls Sienna and Sierra. Then, obviously, my beautiful wife Brenda who you have all seen a million times. Really what I want to do is just thank these guys because they have been the reason I’ve been able to do what I do and do it at the level that I’ve been able to do it at. They’ve given me the opportunity to leave every morning to go play the game that I love, but there are a lot of sacrifices that go with that. If I didn’t have this family and this support, there’s no chance that I would get the opportunity to do that. They’ve encouraged me, and I’ve appreciated that. They’ve laughed at me at times when I’ve thrown four or five interceptions, and I’ve appreciated that. Every day I come home and it doesn’t matter if we won or lost, if I’ve thrown interceptions or thrown touchdowns. The one thing that I always knew is that when I entered our door, when I stepped into our house, that none of that mattered to these guys. I can’t tell you what a blessing that is as a football player because there is so much that goes on in our lives, there is so much that happens in the media, so many ups and downs, so many people that love you one day and hate you the next day. There’s nothing better than to be able to walk into your home and know that at least eight people there still love you every day no matter what you’ve done. No matter whether you’ve won or lost. To you guys, I just say I love you. I thank you. It’s been a fun ride and I look forward to the rest of our lives together. Thank you guys. You guys are awesome.
Next I want to say thank you to the three organizations that had a hand in my career. Obviously, the St. Louis Rams, Georgia Frontiere, and Stan Kroenke there who gave me my initial opportunity. To the New York Giants and the Mara family and the Tisch family there. And obviously here in Arizona the Bidwill family because without them, there would be no Kurt Warner. Without each one of them giving me an opportunity when no one else would. I think that’s one of the amazing things about this whole story is that it took three different teams taking a chance on me at three different times, in three different situations, to allow me to be standing up here and to have accomplish what I have accomplished. I want them to know, if they’re watching, or if somebody goes back and tells them, how much I appreciate each one of those organizations and what they did for me. I specifically want to thank the head coaches that were involved as well. Dick Vermeil, who gave me my initial opportunity, Mike Martz, Tom Coughlin, Denny Green who was here, and also coach Whiz (Ken Whisenhunt) who is standing over here, because again it took those five men giving me an opportunity that no one else would, to allow me to be able to do what God has gifted me to do. I truly appreciate all of you guys and appreciate what you’ve done for me. I want to say thanks to my teammates. I know I have a few there in the back and hopefully a few more that are out there watching. I learned very early in this process that no one man has success without a lot of great men around him. I learned as a quarterback that you can never have success without great players around. I’ve been so fortunate over the years, no matter where I’ve been, to be surrounded by amazing players that have made my job easy. I get to go home and I’ll get to look at the record books and I’ll get to see videos of games that we played in and talk football for a long time. I know the only reason any of those things occurred is because I had amazing teammates. I really just want to thank them for giving me the opportunity to play with them, to get to know them. The one thing you know is that you’re always going to miss Sunday afternoons for a few hours, but my wife and I have talked about it, that the thing that you’re probably going to miss more than anything is the five, six hours a day you spend in that locker room with those guys. They become your extended family. Obviously, you go on road trips. You spend hours and hours with them getting to know them. That’s going to be the hardest thing to replace is to replace that time that I got to spend with my teammates and to replace those relationships that, although they’ll stay in contact, they won’t be the same degree, the same level, that I’ve had over the last 12 years. To all of my teammates, I greatly appreciate you. I thank you for everything and allowing me to come along with you guys and accomplish some of the great things that we’ve accomplished together.
Lastly, I want to say thank you to all of you out there. All of the media. To the fans. To everybody out there that has supported me over the years. I can’t say thank you enough for the way that you’ve respected me, respected what I believe in, the way I play the game, the way you supported me over the years because you see in this business that a lot of times it can go one way or another. Especially when it comes to the media, no offense guys, but you know that you can get a rap one side or the other. What I know in my 12 years is that the media has greatly respected me and treated me fairly in just about every situation that I can remember. I know that’s rare and it’s unique. I just want to say thank you to all of those out there that have treated me that way because it’s made it fun, it’s made it enjoyable. I’ve enjoyed being able to be me and to represent what I think is most important. Everybody out there has respected that. The fans all across the country, wherever they may be, I just say thanks to you guys because we don’t get to do what we do without all of you guys supporting us and enjoying what we do. I thank you for supporting me, supporting my foundation, supporting my family for these last 12 years because it’s been incredible. We couldn’t have done it all without you.
The last thing I want to say—before we get into questions and answers—is the one thing I always want to leave people with when I thought about my career ending and getting to this point, is I wanted people to remember that anything is possible; that, with my story, with the way it came about, the fact that it took me so long to get here, is that I know there are a lot of people that gravitate to that part of it; that understand the struggles; that understand when it takes a little bit longer to try to achieve your goal; when there are moments that you want to give up and you question whether you should continue to follow your dream. I think that’s one of the reasons that God has placed me up here and has allowed me to do what I do is to encourage people out there that although sometimes it doesn’t look really bright and things don’t go in your favor and there are moments you want to give up, I think I’m a living example of when you make yourself useful, when you continue to work hard, when you continue to believe in yourself, and obviously as I said before, when God wants to use you in a special way, that anything is possible. I hope that when people think back on my career, maybe it’s just over the next couple weeks as they reflect on it or maybe it’s years to come, that that’s what they remember more than anything else. Not the way I threw the football, not particular games that I won, but that they remember that here’s a guy that believed, that worked hard and, although things didn’t always go in his favor, he continued to press through and with his faith in himself and his faith in God, he was able to accomplish great things. That’s what I want everybody to remember. Again, I thank everybody that has been involved. I can’t thank everybody personally, but I wanted to take a chance while I had this platform to thank those people that were so instrumental. But everybody along the way, all the coaches, all the players, all the people that supported me and encouraged me, I thank you as well. God bless you guys. I’ll open it up for questions now.”
On if he had a moment of clarity after the season ended that made this a clear and obvious decision:
“There were a lot of times during the season where I really felt like this was it for me. Again, as I’ve always said, I never want to make an emotional decision. I never want to make that decision in the middle of the season, but what I’ve known is that over the last couple years (is) that God has been telling me that it’s getting closer and it’s getting closer. I knew that was a fact. Now, it was just figuring out when the right time was. It was probably halfway through the season where I really felt that tugging, that pulling, that this was probably going to be my last season. Again, I didn’t know for sure. I wanted to get away from it for a time, like I did last year, because I had moments last year that I thought the same thing—that I might be done—but I wasn’t away very long before I realized I wanted to come back and play. I wanted to give it that same opportunity this year and make sure that it wasn’t just something that was going on in my world that was pushing me in that direction. But, when I got away, it felt good. It felt right. As I said early on, I’m excited about what’s next, which isn’t something I’ve had before. Before, I was always looking and waiting for the next season. Now, I’m waiting for the next chapter. I’m excited about that part of it. The decision has been made over the weeks or so, but I had a pretty good idea probably for the last half of the season that this was the direction that I was leaning.”
On if the concussion he suffered in St. Louis this season was the final determining factor that helped him to know that it was time to walk away:
“The hit in St. Louis I think was part of the process. I think the one thing you always want from this game is you enjoy playing, you enjoy everything that comes with it, but you want to be able to walk away on your own terms, and specifically—physically. I have taken a lot of hits. I have been beat up a lot in my career. The one thing that I can say is that I have been very fortunate from that standpoint. I have not suffered a lot of serious injuries. I thank God for that. I think one of the things in deciding when to get out, when that time is, is being able to walk away without the game or your body dictating that to you. I think that every injury, specifically this year when I was already leaning in that direction, makes you think about; makes you contemplate it a little bit more. But, I won’t say that was the determining factor because I have felt that I have been very fortunate and very healthy throughout my career. There’s not anything that I leave this game saying, ‘I don’t know if I could have done it physically.’ All those things go into it.”
On what’s next in his life:
“As far as what’s next, I think there’s a lot of things next. Obviously, I talked about my family. I’m going to watch them play football on Saturday mornings. I’m going to watch them do what they do. I’m going to watch them grow. I’m going to enjoy their life now and all the things that I’ve missed over the last 12 years. Professionally, I don’t know. There’s a lot of things I want to do. I know that ministry will be a part of it. I’ll spend time preaching. I’ll spend time speaking and hopefully being able to motivate people with my life story like hopefully I have with the way I have played the game. I like to write. I’m interested in doing some of that. My charity is going to be huge. It’s something I want to continue. I want to continue to work on impacting people’s lives. That’s what we’re all about. That’s what we believe in. We have been given an amazing opportunity to do that. We’re going to further those efforts as well. And then, I would like football to be a part of it. What that means, I don’t know. I don’t know if that means television, radio, or broadcast. I don’t know. I don’t really know what that means. I love the game. I think I have a lot to offer. I enjoy the game, but a lot of that is going to be determined by the time constraints and what it means for me in the short term, because these eight people up here are my priority. I want to make them my priority for a little while yet. So, if we can do some of those other things and we have some opportunities, those are the things that I would gravitate to. Those are the things that I’m passionate about. We’re going to leave the door open and see what comes our way, what opportunities come our way, and try to make the best decisions for us moving forward.”
On what it means to him to know he can still play at a high level when retiring:
“I think that’s one of those ultimate questions when you’re getting to this point. You never want to leave too early, and you never want to stay too long. It’s hard to try to determine when that is, but there is something to be said, I think, for being able to leave on your own terms and playing at the level that you want to play at. I don’t know if I could have handled playing at a lesser level. I think that would have frustrated me. It was funny, I was talking to my agent last night, and that was one of the things he said. One of the things that bothers him a little bit is that he knows at what level I can still play, and he hates that I’m leaving the game being able to play at such a high level. I flipped it back on him and said ‘I understand what you’re saying, but I also know that, had I come back this year and not performed at that level, that you would have been saying to yourself, ‘man, I wish he would have got out one year earlier, where he was playing at a high level.’ So I think there is a Catch-22. That’s something that I’m proud of. I’ve played 12 years, I’m at 38 years old and I believe I was playing at as high a level now and over the last two years as I was playing at when I first got into this league. That’s something I’m proud of. That’s something that I’m happy to say as I leave the game; that I had the opportunity to play at that level and had the opportunity to be in a Super Bowl last year, to be in the playoffs again this year, and compete at the highest level in the greatest game there is. That factors in a little bit. I’m just happy that it all coincided, that I’m still playing at a high level when I knew it was the right time to leave. I’m happy to say that nobody can say there was a period of time in there, or at the end of his career, where he didn’t play up to a certain standard.”
On if he worries about whether he will wish he had played one more year:
“I don’t. I think that’s one of the great things about where I’m at right now—is I don’t. I don’t think about playing another game. I don’t worry about those things and (about) thinking back, even next year. I’m sure there are going to be moments where you miss it, you want to be out there and you know that you can still do it, but as of right now, there is no question in my mind that I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. There is no question that I’m leaving at the right time, and because I know that, it’s easy for me to walk away and say that is what it is—a great chapter, a great period of my life that I will never forget—and it’s meant so much to me. But, I don’t worry one bit about looking back and wishing that I had played longer. I think it was the perfect time, and I’m ready.”
On if anyone tried to talk him into coming back to play one more season:
“There were definitely people that tried to talk me into coming back. Some people that are in this room, some close friends, obviously my agent, some teammates, a number of people that tried to talk me into coming back. It’s one of those things that, if I wasn’t sure, it would have been really hard to listen to them and be able to tell them that I’m retiring. But again, I prayed about it, I believed it, my wife and I talked about it, and I just felt it was the right time. So I could listen to them and I appreciated the fact that they wanted me back, and what I meant to them, what I meant to this team, and what I meant to this game; all of those things. It means a lot to me, but again, I can’t question the fact that I know it’s the right time, and because of that, it wasn’t that hard listening to them. It was more appreciative than anything. I knew that it was the right time.”
On the importance of the last three seasons in solidifying his Hall of Fame chances:
“I don’t know about the Hall of Fame, but I think it’s a book end to my career that I wanted. To start this game, in St. Louis, at the level that I did; to have all the success early, and then have some of the struggles in the middle of my career; I knew deep down how well I could still play. I knew what I could still offer. But the hardest thing would have been leaving the game having not had the opportunity to show people what I could still bring to the table. That’s what these last three years have meant to me. It’s given me an opportunity to show people the way I play the game. Just because there were some struggles or some things that didn’t go my direction in the middle of it, I wasn’t done. That’s been so important to me. I think it’s the stats and the things you accomplish on the football field, but I think more than anything, to be able to be a part of a Super Bowl team and to be able to be a part of my second Super Bowl team, was probably the one thing that I’ll hang onto more than anything else that I accomplished in this game. That was the thing that I’m most proud of—to be a factor in helping bring this organization, as well as the organization in St. Louis, to that level. That, to me, is a perfect book end to my career. I just don’t think it would have been the same. I think there would have been a lot of great things, a lot of things you could say—the story and how I got here—but I think these last three years have really finished the story and done it in a special way. A way that allows it to mean even more to me than just getting here. To play at this level, to be a part of that and to be able to leave this organization in better shape than when I got here, that’s what you always want. Everybody loves the stats and everybody loves the wins and losses, but what I’ve always believed is that I want to leave an organization where people, at least to some degree, feel indebted to what I was able to bring to the table, whether it was on the football field or off. I truly feel like each of the teams that I’ve been with, I’ve had the opportunity to do that. Maybe some in a smaller way, but that’s what I love about the three places that I’ve been, and having the opportunity to be in three places. I know people talk all the time about wanting to be in one place their whole career and establish that, and I think that would be cool. I think that would be an amazing accomplishment, especially in this day and age. But as with my whole story, it’s not until after the fact do I realize that I wouldn’t change a thing. To have the opportunities that I’ve had with the three organizations, specifically with the Rams and here with the Cardinals, has been incredible. It’s been amazing and it has allowed me to do some things that other guys never get the opportunity to do. I’ll cherish that. I will relish that fact. If any of that leads or adds to a Hall of Fame career, so be it. We know that’s for somebody else to decide, but I’ve enjoyed every minute and I’m appreciative for all the opportunities I’ve gotten, and specifically the opportunities to be a part of changing two organizations like I’ve been a part of, is the most special part of my career.”
On if there was ever a time during a difficult stretch of his career where he wanted to shout to the world about what was going on in his life:
“There are a lot of those times, because the one thing you understand in this business is that it’s such a huge business of perception. What certain people perceive about you becomes reality. That’s hard, because when you know differently, you want to go and tell everybody. You want to prove to everybody that what they perceive about you is not actually who you are or what you’re all about. So there were times, there were moments that I was tempted to say different things, but again, in my life I’ve seen that God continues to work things out. He continues to have a reason for everything that He’s done. It’s weird: after the second Super Bowl in St. Louis—the one we lost—I remember thinking about that game more than any other. How I lost an opportunity to win a second championship, yada yada yada and all these things. But over the course of time, I’ve come to realize that had I not lost that Super Bowl, I probably never would have been here in Arizona. It’s things like that that bring it all together for me. Sometimes things may not work out in your favor, they may not work exactly how you hoped that they would work out, but with my faith, I’ve always believed that God has a better plan. There is no question in my mind that He had a better plan. So, although there were those moments of frustration where I wanted to share different things with the world, the better plan for me was to keep believing, keep following Jesus, keep doing what I do and believe that, as always, He was going to work it out. And each and every time, He has. I know with this newest term that He is going to work it out in an amazing way, and I look forward to that.”
On if he allowed himself to consider the void he would leave with the Cardinals by retiring:
“Yes, you do. I don’t think you can help but think about that. I think that’s one of the hardest parts of the decision—knowing an organization, a coaching staff, teammates, how they’ve counted on you, what a big piece of the puzzle you are—there’s no question that’s the hardest part for me. You never want to leave anybody in a difficult situation, but at the same time, I had to weigh the fact of, could I and was I willing to bring everything that this organization and this team has expected of me for the five years that I’ve been here? Could I continue to bring to that table? I had to weigh the two. Maybe I could come back and fill that void physically, but mentally and emotionally, was I in a situation where I could bring what I think this game deserves and what I think this organization and my teammates deserve, from that standpoint, from a leadership and a quarterbacking standpoint? That’s where I think the decision got easier for me. I don’t think I’m willing to do that anymore. I think the last couple of years have been difficult. When I started leaning in this direction in the middle of the season, it was a struggle every week to live up to the standard that we’ve set here and that I’ve set for myself. So that’s where it became easier for me. I knew it would be a disservice to me and to everybody around me if I came back specifically to fill that void physically, and I couldn’t do what I needed to do from all the other standpoints. That’s why I felt like, you understand the one side of it, but to me, the other side is more important. If I’m here, I’ve got to be willing to give everything that I’ve always given. It just came to the point in time where I just don’t know if I can do that, physically or mentally the way that I always have.”
On if he and his family will continue to live in Phoenix:
“I think we will, at the time being. We have no desire to leave. We love the community. We love living here. Our kids love it here. We love raising our kids here. We’ve just become so engrossed in the community here that there is absolutely nothing that makes us think about going anywhere else. Does that mean that as we take these steps into the next part of my life that God doesn’t call us somewhere else to do something else? I can’t say that. I don’t know at this point in time, but right now, Phoenix is definitely home for us. We plan on it staying that way for at least awhile.”
On how things came together here to produce what’s happened the last three years:
“Anytime you have success, a lot of things have to come together. I don’t know where you start in the process, but for me, obviously, coming here started before Coach [Ken] Whisenhunt got into this position, but I think things started to change when the organization made the decision to hire Coach Whiz; his ability to bring an attitude, bring a mentality here, that I was used to, his willingness to give me an opportunity that I don’t know if anyone else would. That’s one of the things that I told him in this process—how much I appreciate the fact that he gave me another opportunity. I don’t know if there was any other coach out there that would have done that. So I think that was a huge step early in the process. Then, I think coming together and meshing all our skills, all the people that we had in place here, was huge. I’ve been around coaches that have a mindset and believe it should be done one way, and that’s all they listen to. A credit to Coach Whiz and his staff here is that they’ve never taken that approach. I know when he came here, he wanted to be like three tight ends and two backs and run the ball every snap. I was so completely opposite of that. But what I’ve loved about this process has been our ability to come together, with my skills, with his skills, with the team that we had, and mesh that together to do some great things and to accomplish some great things. That’s always a neat part of the process. When you’re on the inside, you understand what it took to get to where we’re at today; the process, the work, the give and take on everybody’s part to get to this point. That’s a huge part of the reward, that you just didn’t step into this place and everything was set up, and you just rode it to the Super Bowl. There was a lot of work. There was a lot of effort. There was a lot of give and take. Sometimes it was screaming matches. Sometimes it was each of us trying to beat into the other one what we believed in and what we wanted to do. But to me, that was fun. That was an awesome part of the process. Not only did I get to find out what kind of coach he is, what he believes in, his ability to make different things work, but I got to find out about the men that were behind it as well. To me, that’s always the best part, is that we developed a friendship that went beyond X’s and O’s and went beyond handing the football off or throwing the football. It went beyond that. That’s what I love. Maybe it’s because I’m older than he is, because we’re so close in age, it was easier to mesh. That’s a part of the process that I’ve really enjoyed, getting to know the coaches and working, probably, at a different level than most players; being able to have a hand in some of the coaching and the developing process, and getting to know these coaches like I don’t think very many players get the opportunity to know them. I count that as a huge blessing and a great opportunity for me. I think it paid huge dividends in the success that we had. So many parts were willing to come together, sacrifice where they needed to, needed to be strong-headed in certain areas, and through that, we trudged this path together. It’s something that I’ll never forget.”
On if he feels young now that he is an ex-player:
“Give me a couple more weeks. I think there is something to the fact that, when you step away from the game and the expectations that you have for yourself physically, you can exhale a little bit and you can take a deep breath. It doesn’t hurt as much, or there is not as much of a strain on you, because you know that, just for instance, working out. It was hard for me, over the past 12 years, to take a day off from working out, because I felt an obligation to stay at a particular level to play this game. Now it’s a simple burden like that, where maybe I want to work out for 20 minutes a day. Maybe I want to sit in front of the couch and eat bon-bons. Whatever it is, there is a release, I think, from that. Knowing the standard that I set and what it took to stay at that level, that when you finally make this decision, there is a relaxing or an exhaling that you can do that makes you feel a little bit younger than you may have been otherwise.”
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