Redskins Quotes

[Thinking Skins]

http://www.redskins.com/story.asp?ContentID=11053

Head coach Steve Spurrier

On the first day of camp:

“[We’re off to a] pretty good start. Most of the guys are in pretty good shape. Only a few need a little better conditioning, but other than that it was a pretty good start.”

“We have a long way to go. We’re not there yet, of course. We’re not supposed to be. But the guys were hustling. There’s a wonderful attitude on this team and it’s fun coaching these players.”

On having open practices:

“Preseason was always open [at Florida]. It’s good to have a few people in the stands. I think it helps the players to practice playing a little bit in front of a crowd. So the public is welcome and invited to come on out.”

On his philosophy of training camp:

“The only thing we try to do is prepare our team for the real season, and obviously we are also preparing for exhibition games. But to be the best we can on September 8th is what we are trying to do. Whatever it takes. We shoot for balance. We want to try to hit enough, but not too much. We want to try to run enough, but not too much. And to practice plenty without running ourselves into the ground.”

On the quarterback situation:

“They all did well today. They're all right in there so we’ll let it play out. Hopefully, one player will establish himself as our best quarterback, and he'll get the nod to go. If he plays well he could go the entire season. But if he struggles a bit and another guy looks like he is capable, then I’m not afraid or scared to change quarterbacks if it’s the best [decision] for the team.”

On managing the heat and taking any necessary precautions:

“The heat has always been an issue. Any time you practice in July and August, it’s always an issue. We are continuing to take all precautions. I think there's more knowledge about hydrating yourself and nutrition available for all the players. Hopefully, they'll follow it and eat correctly and drink correctly.”

LaVar Arrington

On the Redskin’s linebackers:

“I think it’s an awesome [linebacking] core. I think we are six people deep. If one of us goes down, there is no drop off [in talent coming off the bench]. Our whole linebacking core is solid, top to bottom. To me, that’s exciting.”

On having 4 different coaches in his 3 years with the league:

“You learn to adapt and adjust. You can’t sit there and think about it. In this business, coaches are just like players. I have all the respect in the world for those guys because they have just as much pressure on them as we do on us.”

On Jeremiah Trotter:

“He’s a team leader. He’s got his stuff together. It’s going to be fun playing with him. You always have to have a middle linebacker who’s a leader and he definitely leads the way.”

Chris Samuels

On visiting Japan a few months ago:

“It was a great experience. As soon as they asked me, I jumped at it because not everybody can say they’ve been to Japan before. I went out there and had a great time: different food, different culture. Everybody was so nice. I really enjoyed it.”

On the frequent head coaching changes:

“I’ve had quite a few new coaches and it’s kind of tough to deal with, but overall I think I’ve accepted it well. I’m just going to keep moving forward.”

Danny Wuerffel

On having the advantage of playing for Spurrier:

“I think naturally you may know the language better, the way we call plays and so forth, but we’ve been doing this for a while this offseason. So I think Sage, especially, has had a good chance to try to catch up, but certainly I feel real comfortable and thankful.”

“We all know what is expected, and we need to live up to that as much as we can. [Coach] is looking for somebody that makes good decisions, somebody that throws the ball well, somebody that is courageous and does the little things.”

Jeremiah Trotter

On the similarities/differences between Redskins Defensive Coordinator Marvin Lewis and his former coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles, Jim Johnson:

“Jim Johnson is a great coach, as is Marvin Lewis. They both have been blessed with great talent. I think that helps make you a great coach."

“In this defense I get to run a little bit more sideline-to-sideline and use my speed. In Jim Johnson’s defense, I was taking on linemen and participating in downhill plays. I can do both. I get to run around a little bit more with this defense.”

On the excitement of the linebacker trio of Trotter, LaVar Arrington (LB, #56) and Jesse Armstead:

“It’s exciting playing with everyone, not only those two. We have two great corners, great safeties, and defensive linemen. We have a lot of talent. You have a guy like LaVar that makes plays all over the field, along with myself and Jesse.”

Sage Rosenfels

What do you have to do to during training camp to earn a starting position?

“Just be consistent everyday in practice. When it comes to game time just light it up and go out there and enjoy yourself and compete and just do great in those preseason games."

"We have some really good players. I’m really excited about this offense. We got Stephen Davis, who's one of the best tailbacks in the league. We also have a whole slew of wide receivers that can make big plays and help this football team.”

On not being a Spurrier guy:

"Coach Spurrier gave me his word that he's going to give me a fair shot and he’s about as honest a guy that I’ve ever met. I’m going to try to go out here and make myself better for this Redskin football team this year. I'm going to try not to think about all that competition and try to make myself the best I can be to get this team back in the playoffs."

"I work as hard as I can to do anything coach Spurrier wants me to do and be as good as I can be for coach Spurrier and this offense. The guy knows what he’s talking about. He has a great reputation to pass and win a lot of games, putting up some big yards on the offense. As a quarterback I want to do everything in my power to learn from him and that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to learn everything that he teaches me. I’m just trying to soak it all in and hopefully produce on the field."