Football: Coach Bill Stewart and Player Quotes
April 15, 2009 06:44 PM | General
April 15, 2009
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University Football Coach Bill Stewart and player quotes following Wednesday afternoon’s practice.
Head Coach Bill Stewart:
On tonight’s Athletic Director’s Honor Roll banquet:
I’m very proud of our academics, and I’m very proud of the Mountaineers who have over a 3.0 GPA.
On today’s practice:
That practice today was a practice in which you win bowl games. That practice was an intense, get after it, hit them right in the face, Mountaineer Old Gold and Blue practice. I was very proud to be out on the field with them. They fought each other tough, hard, fair square and clean – and there were some pads poppin’. I saw some busts, some great plays by some guys, and I saw some guys who are maturing a little bit. It was a real slugfest. If we practice like that, have a nice spring game, and we practice physical, then we may have a chance.
I told the defense that they did a great job. They got the offense in a choke-hold and didn’t let them out. There was one play when Ryan Clarke made a nice bust on the ones, and Mark Rodgers made a nice play. That was defense domination coming off of our goal line to not let the opponent out, and that was a good job.
On Josh Jenkins:
Josh is doing well, and he’s playing hard, but I don’t think he’s started a game yet for West Virginia.
On newcomer Josh Lider:
He brings more maturity to the position, and brings someone to the position that has kicked in collegiate games before. It gives us more fire power in the arsenal. He has to come in like everyone else and compete, and I think that will make it a lighting summer for our kickers. There is not a job that is secure in this program, not one.
On the progress he’s seen so far:
I’ve seen some improvement by some guys, but I hope that other guys would hurry along to be honest with you.
On what he wants to see in the Gold and Blue game:
I want to see sharp execution; college team-sharp execution. We’ve had bits and pieces of that all spring by both sides. It’s going to be the best versus the rest, sort of, so we’re going to have to see what transpires. Sometimes I’ve seen spring games where you play the ones and twos versus the rest or the best six or eight lineup. I’ve seen sometimes that the rest has gotten after it, and I don’t want to see that Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
It’s going to be the Gold squad versus the Blue squad. It will be travel team against the rest; that’s the best way to describe it.
We’ll put the ball on the 35-yard line and away they’ll go. I want to see great execution as a team and I want to see teamwork. I want them to leave this spring as a team and that’s my objective for Saturday. They’ve been banging each other for 14 practices. Saturday, I want to be on the sideline and want to see a team. That’s why we did the 6 a.m. practices, because of all of the different starting times. Now I want to build the team concept at the spring game come Saturday.
Chris Neild
On the defensive line’s experience and maturity:
I’m trying my best out there to get better every day. Veterans like me, Scooter (Berry) and Reed (Williams) are really trying to work with these young guys to get them as many reps, and feed them as much experience as we have. I think we’re doing a good job of that.
It’s helping this year, because I started the games last year. No one really knows what to expect out there, and it’s easier to come into the season knowing what is going to happen. We’re really going to work hard this offseason. We’ve been working hard all spring, and it has gone by really quick.
On what he’s working towards in the fall:
We’re looking forward to (playing) Liberty. That’s our main goal right now. We’re going to work hard in the weight room and get in shape. We have a lot of work to do before August comes.
On the Gold-Blue game:
It came really quick this year. The past two springs that I’ve been here, it’s been slow but that’s probably because I was getting adjusted to everything. Once you get adjusted to everything, getting your reps in during the season and playing in the games, it comes easy for the people who have been here. I’m a little upset that it’s here so fast.
Jarrett Brown
On how he’s going to lead the team:
I’m going to bring it every day; that’s what I’m going to do. That’s what I can do, just like a point guard who makes everyone around him better. That’s what I expect. I’m going to encourage and not get down when bad things happen, and not get too rowdy when good things happen.
On the biggest thing he learned from playing behind Pat White:
I learned a lot of things from Pat. Just the way he handled himself. He was very intelligent. He was able to perfect the running offense and then work on the passing offense. He picked up on the little things, and he was able to build; everyday he got better.
On playing for Men’s Basketball Coach Bob Huggins:
Of course, it makes you a better person. I can tell you that it was a lot more running with Huggs. I loved the way he coached. He was straight forward, and I liked that the most about him. He’s just a great guy, and I liked to be around him. Coach Stew is the same way, and I was fortunate to play for both.
