Oct. 26, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; -
Tuesday Video Q&As - Jack Crawford and Chima Okoli
No. 52 - Chima Okoli, Senior, Tackle
Q: What are your memories of the loss to Illinois last year and is there a revenge factor?
A: Not very good. We didn't really come out and play well. I think that they were really fired up from the beginning. I think we kind of lagged a little bit. They came out and executed. They obviously had a game plan for us and they executed better than us and normally the team that executes better wins the game and that's exactly what they did.
Q: Was it an embarrassing loss for you guys?
A: It was Homecoming last year and whenever you lose by that margin, that's not what this program is about. It definitely wasn't something that we set out to do. Like I said, they played better and the better team won.
Q: What is your assessment of the offensive line so far?
A: We're a work in progress, continuing to get better. We're trying to protect the quarterback as best we can and keep making space for the (running backs) to get yardage. That's definitely important. Every game I feel like we've kind of been growing a little more, getting better and better. That's going to be crucial coming into this stretch.
Q: Has running back Silas Redd made you guys a little bit better with his big games?
A: Yeah, definitely. No matter who is blocking for him, I think he's going to do a great job. Like I said, I'm one of his biggest fans. Speed, vision, balance - he's really a very good back.
Q: What went into the seniors' conversation with Coach Paterno on letting Stephfon Green be more involved with the team again?
A: I was there for that trip to Joe's house: me, (Drew) Astorino, (Mike) Zordich, (Devon) Still, (Quinn) Barham, Jack (Crawford) and a couple other seniors. Stephfon, he's really a guy that sells out for the team. He definitely gives it everything that he has. We talked to Joe and were like, `If we have any say, we would like him back on the team,' just because we know what type of leader he can be on and off the field and the emotional sparkplug that he can provide. It's definitely big to have him back.
Q: Does Coach Paterno give you a say in the quarterbacks? (laughter)
A: Like I always say, if he gave me a say in the quarterbacks I'd be back there. I don't have a say in the quarterbacks, unfortunately, which is unfortunate for you guys, too, because I'd be putting on a show.
Q: Was it a theme to not be able to run the ball last year against Illinois?
A: The running game is key to winning any game. That's how you control the clock. You keep their offense off the field. They were very good defensively last year as they are this year; a good defensive front, good linebackers. We did struggle to run the ball against them. I think that's definitely going to be key, improving that this year.
Q: Do you think the offensive line goes under-appreciated or is under the radar?
A: I don't know. That's up to you guys. How do you guys feel about us? We come out and try and work hard every day. You can control the things you can control and that's making the holes for the running back and trying to protect the quarterback as best you can. You can't worry about what people are going to say about you. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion. We know we come out and work hard every single day and we watch hours of tape. We're just committed to finally being the group that I think can really utilize our potential.
Q: What is the feeling of the team on the quarterback situation and who does the team want to start?
A: I'm in favor of winning. I'm in favor of winning football games. Whatever it's going to take to get that done, I support that 100 percent. (Matt) McGloin played great and I told him that. Like I said, whoever gets it done, that's who we're behind. The players play and the coaches coach. You can't get mixed up with the politics of football because you've got to come out here and win football games at the end of the day no matter who is back there.
Q: Do you get a sense for how tough it is for Coach Paterno to be injured and not around all of the action like he wants to be?
A: I do. I was actually there when Joe got hurt. Devon Smith, who is pretty fast, was running a post and Joe, I think he was in the middle of critiquing one of the safeties, and Devon ran right into him. All of Joe's injuries come from him wanting to be too close to the action. I really think that you can't pry him away from football because he wants to be there so badly. He wants to yell at the referees. When you make a bad play, he wants to tell you exactly how he feels about it and not mince words. He feels like being in the press box he's a little bit stunted to a degree. He wants to get out there really badly and we all want him down there.
Q: How much different is it on the sideline without Joe?
A: That's the thing about it, I think with this team especially. There's no different aura on the sideline. We have Mike (McQueary) down there; we have Coach (Bill) Kenney down there, Coach (Larry) Johnson. It's not really a drop off at all. When Joe wants something done, you better believe it is coming down. The signals are getting relayed, so, there's not really a drop off at all.
Q: How does a guy as small as Devon Smith make an impact? Is it more than just speed for him?
A: When he first got recruited here I was scared for him because as small as he looks on TV, he weighs even less. The kid has heart. If I'm his size, I'm trying to run around people. He's not scared to run through people, even at 5-foot-2, 74 pounds (laughter). He runs over the middle. He takes the contact. He has a big heart that kid and I'm a big fan of his as well.
Q: When Joe isn't on the sideline, which coach usually runs it?
A: I'd have to probably give that to Mike (McQueary). Everybody calls me from back home like, `Who is the guy with the red hair? He's always yelling.' About the second quarter, Mike's face matches his hair. They're both equally red. He definitely puts out a lot of energy and keeps us up.
Q: How does your ankle feel?
A: The ankle is good. I rehab it every day, a few times a day, just trying to ice and stretch it. Some of the things you're going to have to play with. The ankle is feeling good, though.
Q: What was your reaction to the result of the Wisconsin vs. Michigan State game?
A: I was trying to go to sleep because I was tired from the game. We were on the bus coming back from Northwestern (to the airport). All of my teammates had their iPads, I don't have one, and they were watching the results. I couldn't really believe it. I actually watched the play and that's what makes college football special. It's unpredictable. The nature of the game, that's what really draws so many people to it. Two good teams played. Unfortunately, one of them had to lose. Like I said, I wasn't really rooting for any particular team but I watched the game in its entirety and I was really entertained because I'm still a fan of college football in itself. It was a good one for the Big Ten, too.
No. 81 - Jack Crawford, Senior, Defensive End
Q: What does Jordan Hill bring to the defensive line? Do you believe Devon Still overshadows him?
A: Amongst the defensive line, I don't think he is overshadowed. He gets a lot of credit from all of his teammates and all of the coaches. We know how big of an impact he has had on the defense. It's no surprise to us, just seeing how he was playing in the spring. It was no surprise that he came out and has been dominating this year because he has improved so much. He has always been good. As a freshman, he played as a true freshman. So, the way he has been playing this year came as no surprise because we always knew he was that good and he was going to have that much of an impression. I don't think he's getting outshined at all by Devon Still.
Q: Is Chima Okoli funny in the locker room like he was in his press conference?
A: He is probably the comedian on the team. He has his own comedy sets and stuff. He always wants to be part of the conversations. Usually, most of the conversations go on in my locker when I'm just trying be sitting in silence and get focused for practice. I usually have to put some headphones on to block his voice out. Sometimes, I still wake up at night from his voice. It's a little bit scary (laughter).
Q: What challenges does Illinois' quarterback, Nathan Scheelhaase, pose for you?
A: He is an athletic quarterback, pretty much like the rest of the quarterbacks we are going to play for the remainder of the season. So, this is one that we are really going to have to try to contain him. We played a quarterback like him, [Dan] Persa last week, who is also athletic. As you know, he was hurt coming into the game and I think that might have affected his play a little bit. I think this game, we are going to go into this game thinking facing the same type of quarterback who might be more elusive and better to get out of the pocket. It's a similar offense to Northwestern, but they have a lot of weapons. This is a really big game for us, so we are focused on taking our time with this one.
Q: What kind of pressure is there on the defensive ends to keep Nathan Scheelhaase out of the pocket?
A: We really are just focusing on that in practice. We are really trying to contain him. Last year, the defensive ends had a lot of responsibility and it made it tough on the defensive end position. This year, the linebacker is going to play a little bit more of a role in trying to keep the quarterback contained and trying to stop the quarterback option read. So, we are really going to try to contain him and take that away from him early in the game. Then, we can adjust to whatever they're doing.
Q: How much is last year's game against Illinois driving you this week?
A: I think it has a big drive this week. Last year, at this point in the season I was actually hurt and didn't play in that game. Just watching it, it left a bad taste in my mouth. That was a bad game to watch and I could tell for everybody on the team how much that game hurt. Just watching the tape, it was hard to watch that tape and see what they did to us last year and see how they schemed us. We are really going hard this week. This is a big week for us and then after this week we get to shut it down for a week. We feel like if we could go in and get this win, we would be in a good position for the remainder of the season. This is probably the most important game for us right now.
Q: What does Evan Lewis bring to practice?
A: Evan Lewis is a tremendous athlete. He is one of the most athletic persons on the team. He is funny. He is a good person off the field and on the field. He is a great player. He is playing quarterback and we have to go against him everyday on scout team. It really helps us. We get yelled at a lot because of him. It helps us in the long run because we prepare for these teams and he obviously gives us great looks on scout teams, which helps us in the long run.
Q: What does Sean Stanley bring to the defensive line across from you?
A: He is a great player. He is smart and takes a lot of time to what he does. He brings depth. Me, Sean, and Eric Latimore play and we get time to rest and get off the field. He also got experience playing as a true freshman. He brings a lot on the pass rush and he is effective. He can stop the run, too. He is athletic enough to chase the ball down. He adds great depth to the team and great depth to the defense in general.
Q: Coming off a strong performance as a defensive line against Dan Persa, does that give you the confidence to defend a quarterback like Nathan Scheelhaase?
A: Definitely. We are coming into this game with a lot of confidence. We had a good showing against Purdue and I think coming into this game it drives us to work even harder and practice to try and turn out a big performance this week. So, I think it gives us a lot of confidence. This week is going to be one of the toughest weeks in practice, but we are definitely going to go hard this week and bring back some effort into some training.
Q: Do you think your skills playing rugby in the United Kingdom helped you out in football?
A: A little bit. I guess the contact side of it. I honestly think that playing basketball and soccer helped me more in football, just because of the change in direction. Just different things, I guess perspective wise. Rugby helped in the contact side of it. I developed early so I was pretty big and the kids were kind of small. It was a little different, but it kind of related a little bit.
Q: What is your favorite soccer team in London?
A: Arsenal.
Q: Do you guys keep in touch with Aaron Maybin? Have you talked to him about his rebound in the NFL?
A: When he first left us, I spoke to him most. I haven't spoken to him in a long time. I follow him and I have followed his career since he has been in the NFL. He was a friend when he was here. He helped me along the way. He gave me advice on and off the field. He is a great person and a great mentor. I think that it is great for him what he is doing now. I believed in him. I always thought he was going through a rough patch in the NFL. I always thought he had the talent to bounce back on the whole and that if he keeps going in the direction he is going for the Jets, he could make a good name for himself out there.
Q: A lot of people thought that he would have benefitted from staying another year. Do you think he would have developed better if he stayed?
A: That's a tough question. It wasn't such an easy position for him. His draft stock was so high. I guess for him, financially,' it was a no-brainer. To stay, it would probably have helped him get more experience. I guess in college you get more one-on-one experience, NFL is more cut-throat. It might have helped him in the long run, but it's one of those things you can never tell.
Q: Can you talk about what has been going on the last two weeks for you that has freed you up to be more active?
A: It is slightly to do with the offenses, I think. I have been talking to Coach Johnson. I think that helped. It's just a mindset really. I guess not really thinking so much, but just going ahead and playing and getting to the ball. I have less responsibilities now with the way we are playing sometimes with blitzing the linebackers and that frees me up to make plays more. It's mostly just a mindset, but some of it is also to do with the offenses we are playing. I think that this week against Illinois, it should be a game for the defensive ends. I think this is going to be a challenging week. This is almost like a make or break week for us because we have a chance to really get after it like Purdue did. A lot of responsibilities come down to us.