April 25, 2009
Can you talk about the progress of Kevin Newsome this spring?
Well, I think we'll see better after today's scrimmage. He's had his ups and down. You've got to remember he's still a high school senior. He's obviously got tremendous potential, he has a very strong arm and he can run. He's a big, strong kid. But, anticipating when people are going to break open, things like that, that's a little tougher to come by. I think he's going to get really good. I'm not so sure how good he is right now but he's got tremendous potential.
How do you feel about the secondary now?
I think we've made some progress when I look at spring practice. I wish we had another couple weeks like the old days when we had six weeks. I think we're still short one or two linemen with the kind of confidence you need. I think we're still getting better. The secondary had a real good five or six practices. They're reacting to the ball better, but not quite where you've got to be. But I think we're making progress, the kids are working hard. (A.J.) Wallace got hurt a couple days, that set us back a little bit. Most of the big problems in the spring have been injuries. We've got 13 or 14 kids who won't practice today. But I think the secondary has made a lot of progress.
What is the situation and status of Navorro Bowman?
We're going to wait and see, but he's not going to play today. It's a very difficult situation. You hope the kids don't get involved in some of these environmental problems, the temptations they have. He lost his father, and with some other things, I'm just going to let it all settle down. I'll decide sometime next week and we'll sit down and talk with him. But yes, I was disappointed that the whole thing turned out as it did. We had tested him for drugs. We test the squad randomly all the time. He said he was having a problem with marijuana and the two times he admitted it were the two times we tested him and it turned out positive, so we were aware of that. We're working with him. The university has a policy and we have a policy. What I'm going to do, well, I'm not sure yet. I'm going to sit down with him sometime next week and maybe make some inquiries to some people who were involved in the counseling. So, I don't even want to react. He's been a very good kid. But on the other hand, we've got to sort this out. We'll see what we can figure out next week.
In regards to Bowman, do you look at his situation differently because of the hardships he's had?
I think with any situation we have, we look at it and try to understand what is going on without making excuses for anyone. I'm aware of all of the things you just said and I'm aware that maybe there are extenuating circumstances and that's why I'm not going to react. And, we don't need him to play today. If he had something to prove that would be different but as a football player, he doesn't. We'll talk it all out next week.
What do you think about Knowledge Timmons' progress?
I think he has a chance of being good, but he's got a way to go yet. The ways he has to go is not work habits. He's tough, he tackles, he does a lot of things. With how today's game will be played, people all over from sideline to sideline, you really have to be a student of the game. He hasn't taken that on yet. I think when he gets to understand what people are trying to do with different formations and different splits; wideout all the splits you have to look for the slant, if the wideout doesn't over split you have to look for the paint, things like that make the difference at being a good defensive back. Things that give you that extra step in order to make big plays, he hasn't got that yet. I'm on his back all the time about doing some homework.
Can you talk a little bit more about the offensive line and the guys that left?
We lost three good football players. We lost a good center (A.Q. Shipley), a good guard (Rich Ohrnberger), and a good tackle (Gerald Cadogan) all three of whom have a good chance at being NFL players. I think the offensive line coaches, Bill Kenney and Dick Anderson, did a great job. None of the guys you would look at and say, "they're going to be a heck of an offensive lineman." They had to work at it. The two guys that are left, (Dennis) Landolt and (Stefen) Wisniewski are fine. They are solid. The other three spots are up for grabs, except for Landolt and Wisniewski.
Can you talk about the progress of a couple of Pittsburgh kids, Nick Sukay and Derek Moye?
I think Moye had a good spring. He had a little bit of a disappointing game (scrimmage) the other day, but with the younger kids, when you get so close to exams, and I'm on their backs about doing well academically, there's a little carryover. He didn't have a great day, but up until now he's had a good spring. With Sukay, it's the first time we've had him for five or six days in a row at practice. He's getting better. I think up until now he has made great progress. Whether he's good enough to beat out somebody else on the club, I don't know yet.
Sorry to reference the Rose Bowl, but is there something you can take out of that game that you can build on in the off-season or things you can emphasize from that?
I'm upset with the Rose Bowl. I don't think we did a very good job with the kids on the field. We had so many penalties in the first half. I was looking at the Ohio State game the other day and I don't think we had a penalty until the fourth quarter. We had six or seven in the first half against USC. I think we over-estimated USC. That has been a very tough loss for me. What can I learn from it? What ever you can learn from a loss, you learn. Hopefully we can make our kids understand what the big things are in a ballgame, hang on to the ball, don't turn it over, no stupid penalties. We did not play well and we didn't coach well.
Did you say you over-estimated USC? Did you give them too much credit?
I don't know. We didn't do a good job. For me to get into this, this, and this is mute. I just don't think we did a good job. We didn't play well and didn't coach well. A lot of it has to do with apparatus of the Rose Bowl. We had to get on a bus for 45 minutes to go to practice and 45 minutes to get back. I cancelled two or three practices that I would have had because I didn't want to get the kids on the bus all the time. We thought UCLA was going to let us practice there, but the Pac-10 said no. That's a tough ballgame when you have to play out there. Now the Rose Bowl is on my back because I refused to let some people in the locker room. In all fairness to the kids, it was not a good situation and I didn't adapt quickly enough of do a good job. So we didn't play as well as we could have played. Whether we could have beaten them, I don't know.
How about your physical status? Have you been able to get around the field? Can you give us an update on that?
I'm great. I really am. I've had a lot of fun this spring. I have absolutely no problems.
One of your young defensive ends, Jack Crawford, hasn't played a lot of football. Can you assess where he's at and what you expect of him in the fall?
He is an outstanding prospect. He's from England and only played one or two years of high school football in south Jersey. He's good at basketball, but he's a good player. He works hard. He's tough. He's trying to be really good and has been an asset to us.
You talked a little bit about the distractions at the Rose Bowl and now they are fining...
They weren't distractions. It was the situation. When a Big Ten team goes to the play Southern Cal, it's a home game (for them) and you don't have (nearby) practice facilities...it'sa tough job.
You mentioned that you weren't able to adapt to it and that affected the team. Is that what you were saying?
I don't know if that affected the team. I think they were in the bus too many hours and when we got to the stadium, I don't think we were zeroed in and what we had to be. When we go to a bowl game, I don't have any curfews until the last few days. I think the kids deserve to have to have some fun. I have a process that we use and we've been pretty successful with it. I cancelled two practices and a third that I would have liked to have had, but I didn't want to get them on a bus for an hour and a half. The Rose Bowl is also very demanding on what you have to do socially. You have to have a steak dinner, you have to do this and that and go over to Disney. It's a very tough job. Having said that, the last time we went we played Oregon. Oregon was not a Los Angeles team. I had assumed we would be in the same boat we were with Oregon and we didn't do a good job. I hate to talk that way because I think Southern Cal is a fine football team that's well coached. It was one of those days.
Where are you at with the wide receivers right now? Do you get the sense that you'll be able to run the same type of offense as last year with this group?
As long as Daryll Clark is healthy I think we can. We have some kids who have a chance to be good. I think we're ok there. We have some good running backs and obviously we have some really good tight ends. A lot will depend on if we can get that offensive line a little bit more cohesive than they have been so far. Other than that, I don't think we want to start changing a lot of things. How quickly Newsome and the other kid (Matthew McGloin) from West Scranton come along will depend on whether we have to be ready to do some other things. Right now, I don't see us changing much.
With the running back situation, you have Stephfon Green, Evan Royster, Brandon Beachum and Brent Carter. Is it going to be tough to make sure all of them are happy and get all of them enough carries?
I think Royster is obviously a very fine athlete. He can do a lot of things well. He made a lot of big plays. The biggest problem is he has to stay durable. I haven't seen Green or Carter all spring. (Joe) Suhey and Beachum are both solid backs. Until we get everybody healthy, I don't know what to tell you.
How does Collin Wagner compare to Kevin Kelly?
We'll see how he does in the game. He certainly has a good enough leg.
Besides A.J. Wallace, are there any other injuries? I understand Chaz Powell sprained his ankle.
(Nerraw) McCormack and (Doug) Klopacz on the offensive line are out of it, along with Green and Carter. (Brennan) Coakley has an ankle injury, (Jerome) Hayes on the defensive side. I think there are 12 or 13 injuries. I hate to even look at that list.
How would you assess the progress of Mike Mauti and Nate Stupar at linebacker?
Mike Mauti is an outstanding player and Stupar is on the verge. Stupar has to get a little more consistent in his toughness. Mauti is a big time player.
You've had a relatively quiet off-season, aside from Jared Odrick and Navorro Bowman, you're under contract, when all of that stuff has been a distraction, some might say. Is this the best off-season you've had comfort-wise in a long time?
Yeah, one of the things I've had, and you guys are tired of hearing me say it, one of things in the last two off-seasons, not this one, is how much confidence I had in my coaching staff and the fact that they came to the front. This has been a fun off-season in the spring for me because I'm more involved. I don't have to ride around on a golf cart, I'm out there and I'm pushing and shoving kids and having fun with them and the whole bit. That's why I like to coach....he's a fine kid (Odrick) and it's the first time he gave me any problems, and Bowman came late so that's not...I have to straighten that out next week sometime. So, overall, I think your point is good, and I think it's been a fun year. If it'll be a fine year in the fall, we'll find out.
Once and a while with concussions, they linger a little bit. Does Daryll have any effects from his concussion?
No, Daryll's had a fine spring. He'll be in a red jersey because we don't want to get him banged up, but I think the other kids, the other quarterbacks, will not have a red jersey on because I think they got in there where they get hit a little bit and get the feel of what it's going to be like to be in the ball game.
What was your reaction to the hiring of Cael Sanderson as the new wrestling coach?
Good. I like Troy Sunderland. I wasn't happy with the fact that he decided to resign, or whatever the circumstances were. He's a coach. I know how hard he worked, he's got three young kids and most of the time Penn State we've taken care of those people. I don't know Cael. He came out to practice the day they had the announcement. I told him I had seen him wrestle, and I told him that obviously he's a competitor and I think it's a good move. I think Penn State wrestling should be right up there on top. You know, I hope they do as well for Eddie DeChellis as they do for him because I think Eddie did a great job. I think Eddie should have been the Coach of the Year in the Big Ten, I don't whether he was or he wasn't. He's one basket away from being in it (NCAA Tournament). He (Iowa's Jake Kelly) doesn't bank that three pointer in...I think his kids did a great job. I tell people stories when I was a young coach, back in '54,'55, we were in the EIWA at that time in Eastern wrestling with Lehigh, Princeton and those people and they used to get coaches to drive the wrestlers to different sites and I was a bachelor and I had a car and I used to drive people. I was at Princeton when we won the East in '54, '55 and I saw the Secretary of Defense, (Donald) Rumsfeld wrestle and I saw beat him, I think for the championship. I was in the White House for some reason, Senior Bush (President Geroge H.W. Bush) took me around to say hello to some people and Rumsfeld was sitting in his desk with his feet up and I said, "Geez, that's familiar. The last time I saw you, you were lookin' at the lights!" He said, "You don't know what you're talking about!" and I said, "Yes I do!" So, the only thing that's bothering me a little bit about where we're going at Penn State right now, I wish we could have done something with Rec Hall, to keep the basketball there. And I wish they had kept our offices there, because I used to go watch the wrestlers practice, to see if I can learn something...Gene Wettstone with the gymnastics...so, I'm delighted. I hope he can get us right back where we were. When we won the national championship (1953), we had two brothers from Long Island, from Medford High School out on Long Island, and Sprig Gardner was the coach who was a good friend of Charlie Speidel's. I had a lot of fun with Charlie. Charlie and I and Ridge Riley used to go out and drink beer a little bit. I'll never forget Eric Walker was walking into the locker room one day to play at the Rec Hall to play squash, and Charlie was coming in with and Eric said to him, "You know, you look down in the dumps, what's the matter?" and he says, "we're not very good." And Charlie was griping and he said, "maybe I ought to take a sabbatical." And Walker said, "Charlie you can't take a sabbatical." And he said, "What do you mean I can't take a sabbatical? I'm a full professor and I can take a full professor." He said, "No, you can't take a full professor, if you're within one year of retiring." And Charlie says, "I'm not within one year of retiring," and Eric said, "Charlie, every coach is within one year of retiring." I like to see us be good in everything. Russ (Rose) and I have traveled a little bit. In fact, I was just with a kid the other night who is going to come here on a fencing scholarship. Big, tall kid, and I said, "In Brooklyn we didn't have very long blades; but, we know how to use a short one."
You talked about Crawford earlier. Who are some of the other defensive ends that have come to the front and is it a concern that you won't be able to rotate as many guys at the end as you did in the previous year?
I think we're going to be alright with the defensive line. I think we've got six or seven. We've got a couple young kids, a kid like (Pete) Massaro, who's going to be a good football player. (Kevion) Latham's had a good spring at the end, (Jack) Crawford...(Eric) Latimore got hurt and he's having some problems academically. Once he's ok that we have him, (Devon) Still, and Odrick...Odrick, by the way is probably as good a defensive down guy as there is in the country. He's awfully good. He's had a great spring and with (Chima) Okoli, (Abe) Koroma and (Ollie) Ogbu, and I think we're ok on the defensive line. We're ok with the linebackers. We're still a little shaky with the secondary. The kicking game is good. We've got to get some depth on the offense.
What do you think of Larry Johnson's decision to stay? He had a little flirtation with the University of Illinois. Are you glad he stayed?
Absolutely. Larry's a heck of a coach. Everybody talks about his recruiting and he is a good recruiter, but you watch him on the practice field. He's a very fine football coach. I didn't want to make promises that I couldn't keep. I just said, "I hope you stay." He was on the verge of leaving but I think he and his wife talked about it thought that this was a better place for him right now.
Have you decided where will Sean Lee will play, middle or outside?
We're going through that. A lot will depend on Bowman. That will have some bearing.
Do you see some similarities in leadership between Clark and Robinson?
Clark is a very strong leader. Clark has a very strong personality. He is a little more out going and maybe even a little more positive and confident than even Michael was. Michael had a tough time until he...Daryll is coming off an outstanding season and he has great leadership qualities. Kids like him. He's great in the huddle. We need one or two more guys on that offensive line with him and the wide outs. There's similarities. Daryll is probably a little more out outgoing than Michael. What am I, a psycholoigist?