[B][U]Kentucky Defensive Players[/U][/B]
[B]# 96, Collins Ukwu, DE[/B]
[I]On fan day and media day starting up…[/I]
“We’re here today, first day of the official 2012 Fall Boot Camp. Today’s the first day, media day. We’re having a good time. This is the first time the sun has been out since I’ve been here so it’s a positive. We’re ready to go. Let’s do it.”
[I]On the status of his shoulder…[/I]
“It’s good. I’ve been rehabbing all summer and spring. It’s doing well. I’m just ready to get after it, ready to start practice. Everything’s going to be fun.”
[I]On whether he is allowed to practice full contact…[/I]
“I’m good to go. I’m really excited for this season. I’m just ready to do it.”
[I]On what he’s most excited for this year…[/I]
“Just being back with the guys, the team chemistry and everything. Looking outside of football, just the fun times in camps. Being in dorms and eating in the cafeteria with the guys just dreading practice, just talking about it. Just outside of football, that’s just a good part. With this being my last year, I just want to remember something.”
[I]On how it feels to be part of a group that is key to the defense…[/I]
“It feels good. We feel like we have high expectations and we know that. We’re coming in to this year to work hard each and every day and to be the best that we can be. That’s something that we’re going to do this year.”
[B]#97, Mister Cobble, DT[/B]
[I]On whether it’s been a slow learning process to figure out how to be a leader…[/I]
“It’s been a slow learning process for me. Coming into college, I had my ups and downs but as time went on I started to just learn and take time to adapt. It all just came to me one day and I feel like I have a better understanding of what’s going on around me. I feel more inclined to do more things.”
[I]On whether he thinks that this is the year that the defensive line can lead…[/I]
“I don’t really like to look at things like that, to try to speculate what may happen. I just like to just look at it now, take it day by day. As of now, me and Dante [Rumph]’s main focus for this camp is just to get the team better. To get the defense better, to get the offensive line better. The only thing we know to do is to go out there and do what we have to do. I feel like just doing that, just going hard every day, it’ll bring us more together as a whole and just make us even better.”
[I]On whether he views leading by example as the best form of leadership…[/I]
“To show how to walk the path, you must walk the path yourself. So yes, doing things right all the time will be a main thing but, at the same time, you also have to teach the people how to do it. And by doing it, like I said earlier, they have to see you doing it. If they see you doing something opposite of what you’re telling them to do, they’re not going to listen to you. That’s like if I ever tried to just step out there and say something to somebody that they know that me personally, I don’t do that myself, so of course they’re going to listen to me.”
[I]On having experience with Coach Minter’s system and how it pays off…[/I]
“Being his defense, it allows me personally to just basically sit there in the middle and handle that whole front line. Basically the two interior guys on the defense really control what happens between each and every play. If we mess up even one time, a slight mess up can cause the whole defense to fall. It’s like a house, we’re at the bottom and if we fail to hold it up. But, other than that, I just feel like just being in this defense, I’ve learned a lot and it’s allowed me to mature because it’s just so much to process and as I’m trying to process and learn and understand it and hold all of it within, it’s allowed me to do more outside of football as well. My mind is trained to do that now, what else can I do? Basically.”
[I]On whether he likes having the responsibility of holding together the defense…[/I]
“Yes, because it makes me want to work harder knowing that everybody is on my shoulders and just knowing that any time that I fail, the people behind me are counting on me and I’m failing them too. That’s one thing I try to avoid, which makes me work even harder.”
[B]#1, Martavius Neloms, Safety[/B]
[I]On moving back to cornerback …[/I]
“I don’t think it is going to be very difficult for me since I played there before. With the skills that I learned at safety and the knowledge I learned back there, knowing how to line guys up, I should be fine.”
[I]On missing the tackling at safety …[/I]
“I think I am because that is what I love to do, I love to go out there and make tackles, but if coach wants me to lineup at corner and cover somebody I know I can do that too.”
[I]On now knowing the ability of SEC wide receivers …[/I]
“That is really big, because at the South Carolina game I was a true freshman getting thrown out there to the wolves. Now I’ve seen it, I’ve been out there and I know what to do so I feel like this year it is going to be different.”
[I]On the importance of being a leader …[/I]
“It is very important. We have a lot of young freshmen that are coming in to play cornerback. It is important for me to be a leader for them so that they can come in and know what to do.”
[I]On drills to change his approach …[/I]
“I think it’s a mental thing. If you feel like you can do it then you can go out there and do pretty much anything. If you tell yourself that you can’t do it then you can’t.”
[B]#40, Avery Williamson, LB[/B]
[I]On why the defense will be improved …[/I]
“The main thing is because we know what we are doing out there this year. Last year, it was our first time in the defense, we weren’t clear on everything. This year we really spent a lot more time in the film room, studying and getting everybody clear with what they have to do. It’s a better feeling going into camp.”
[I]On who he thinks will step up on the defensive side of the ball …[/I]
“We lost all three of our linebackers, Winston (Guy), Danny (Trevathan) and [Ronnie Sneed] and as a linebacker crew we have to step up, all of us have to step up. We have to be leaders out there, be vocal and we have to make plays. All those people made plays and we have to replace them.”
[I]On the linebackers being a strength of the team …[/I]
“They were kind of doubting us in the spring and I really took that to heart, we were in there working hard this summer, and we got in the film room. As the linebackers we have to be the core of the “D”, that’s our goal going into camp. We have to be tough, we have to be mentally ready and physically ready.”
[I]On looking forward to getting onto the field and beginning practice …[/I]
“I’ve been looking forward to it, anxious, it’s a big difference. I hate moving into dorms, though, that is the biggest part. I just hate moving into dorms. I’m anxious for it (for practice) and I’m ready to show the coaches what I can do.”
[I]On what he has to do improve on his game …[/I]
“Go out there and make plays. Last year I would go in there and make a few plays and would have to go straight out. This year, when I get hot I want to stay hot so I just want to make as many plays as possible and encourage my teammates to make plays and be a leader out there, try to do everything possible to get a victory.”
[B][U]Kentucky Offensive Players[/U][/B]
[B]#21 Josh Clemens, TB[/B]
[I]On the expectations of the team …[/I]
“I think we are going to be a very good team this season. We have had a really good offseason with a lot of guys working hard. We are all just working towards the common goal of getting back to a bowl game.”
[I]On what the team needs to do to be successful …[/I]
“We just need to stay together. We have a lot of young guys on the roster this year and we need to help them mature and become leaders of this team.”
[I]On his offseason …[/I]
“I’ve had a really good offseason. I have worked hard to be at the level I am at now, and I can’t wait to finally be playing at 100 percent.”
[B]#16 La’Rod King, WR[/B]
[I]On what the younger players are facing …[/I]
“The younger players’ biggest problem will be applying their knowledge to the field. They have to know how to read the books and read the film.”
[I]On how he expects the freshman to be …[/I]
“I trust those guys with my life. They finally got hit a couple times and ringed up, and you learn from that. You watch film and you learn from that.”
[I]On if they are coming out with a chip on their shoulder …[/I]
“Always. I mean, who doesn’t. But I’m going to talk with my pads. If you are talking without pitting up any numbers, it is pointless.”
[B]#11, Maxwell Smith, QB[/B]
[I]On coming in last year as a freshman and earning the team’s respect compared to this season …[/I]
“You come in, and I’m sure Patrick (Towles) feels the same way, you feel like you don’t have that respect. I felt that way to since you haven’t done anything; it’s the SEC not high school anymore. So you have to come in and prove yourself, and I felt like that even though I might not have played great or anything, I showed I have the ability to play and have a better grasp of the offense and the defenses and the speed of the game. I saw LSU and we probably won’t see a better defense then that even though we will see South Carolina and Georgia which those are nasty defenses, but I’m ready for it.”
[I]On La’Rod King …[/I]
“La’Rod’s a good leader. He has to be the leader since our receiving corps is so young, with the only senior receivers we have is him, Aaron (Boyd), and E.J. (Fields). La’Rod does a good job since he has proven himself and played on the field since his freshman year, he does a good job of leading them and getting them to do the right things and understand what they have to do.”
[I]On the running backs …[/I]
“That’s a tough question. They all bring something to the table and all are talented backs, and I haven’t seen Justin Taylor or Dyshawn (Mobley) in pads, but I was really impressed with Dyshawn when I threw with him. He had really good hands and Josh (Clemons) is my roommate and I’m not biased and want the best running back on the field and who gives us the best chance to win and get yards.”
[I]On playing behind a good offensive line …[/I]
“That’s the most important thing. If Tom Brady had me protecting him, what could he do? He wouldn’t do anything. That’s the most important thing which is the offensive line, it starts there and we are real solid up front, and coach Summers is going to a good job with them this camp and hopefully we will have a lot better run game this year and a better overall game.”
[B]#12, Morgan Newton, QB[/B]
[I]On how his shoulder is …[/I]
“I think (it’s fine). I don’t know if I can sling it 85 yards like I use to, but I feel stronger on some of the short to intermediate routes. That’s something I really have had to focus on and re-focus on because I can’t throw it a thousand times like I use to. I have to get the most out of my reps, and get quality reps since they number my reps. I feel stronger with the short-game stuff since I have been doing band-work. We will have to see how it works out.”
[I]On how he approaches the quarterback battle with Max Smith and Patrick Towles …[/I]
“Yes, and you kind of have to take it as a challenge. I was Patrick Towles three-four years ago, Max (Smith) was, (Mike) Hartline was, Andre (Woodson) was, and Randall (Cobb) was but Randall is still Randall. You got to take it in stride and I wish Patrick the best and I will help him out the best I can. The guy you all are overlooking is another quarterback in Jalen Whitlow who is just as good and a guy who can really play and is really sound and a sharp guy.”
[I]On what the toughest obstacle will be for Patrick from high school to the SEC …[/I]
“I think it differs from quarterback to quarterback, obviously offense is much more complex as well as defense. The thing that helped me is I was physically ready to play and that is something that helps because the coaches wont throw you out there if your not physically able to play. Also the mental game with so much going on, there is 22 moving parts so you try to maximize space with 22 guys to make it be successful.”
