Urban Meyer Press Conference Quotes
Monday, October 5, 2009 | Football
Opening Statement:
Tim (Tebow) looks a lot better. Today is Monday, it's been not quite nine days, but he does look better. He continues to work with our doctors and training staff and they're doing a phenomenal job. Other than that I don't know. It's been day-to-day. I like the way our team came in this morning. They had off Friday, Saturday and Sunday and came in this morning at 7 a.m. for some quick meetings and we'll have a quick practice today. We're trying to get a plus one like we do on bye-weeks, so we'll practice Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, with shoulder pads today, full pads tomorrow and shoulder pads Wednesday. We only have one guy sick so I think we're washing that stuff out.
Does Tim still have any symptoms?:
“I think he's symptom-free, at least of the symptoms I've been privy to. His headache has been gone for several days now and he looks good.”
On Tim being cleared to practice and play:
“No, he won't practice today. He has not been cleared.”
On how often Meyer is asked about Tebow lately:
“I hide when I go out so it's cool. I've been asked a lot, especially by the people who matter to me, my family and the team. But he's around now, so the people that need to know know that he's doing good. But you're right, that's a big question nationally.”
On Brandon Spikes' position leading the team being downplayed by media:
“Here's what I'm going to say about all of this. We worked awful hard, this is our fifth year and we have a very strong family thing going on here. I think you guys have witnessed it being around our players. “What did you feel like when Tim was on the ground? What do you think about Spikes?” And the one thing about our guys, I'm so proud of the coaching staff and players, is this is family. It's not the coach-player relationships; we don't say that around here. It's family. It's not just Tim. You ask if it's Tim's team, and sure it is, but 51's got a lot to say, so does Carlos Dunlap, Joe Hadan, Major Wright, the Pouncey twins. There are a lot of guys involved, this is not a one man operation. The best thing going is they love each other and care about each other, including coaching staff and players. It's the best I've been around and we're worked awful hard to get it like that. From our Thursday nights to the way we do things together, it's a good football team, a good bunch of people.”
On Tim Tebow's progression:
“I don't the results, but I do know he gets tested every day. He was tested Friday, Sunday and Monday. He took off Saturday. The feedback has been very positive. Moses Jenkins has a concussion as well. I will know in the next few days if our guys will be able to go. Moses has been a two year performer for me and he's earned the right to play. I don't know if Time can go against a defense as good as LSU's without practicing.”
On injured players practicing:
“We all this is a really good we will play. We have to be smart. He will not get hit. Moses (Jenkins) won't get hit. (Marcus) Gilbert is still healing. Deonte (Thompson) is doing well. He had an excellent week; did everything he was supposed to do. He's a great guy and ready to go.”
On John Brantley:
“I have a lot of confidence from what you him do in practice. We would like to have him have more game reps at this point, but it's not like he's going in there by himself. He's got 10 other guys on offense to take care of him. The Pounceys, Riley Cooper and three backs will be there. He had a great week in practice. He gets the ball out real fast. Things will change a bit; it obvious. That doesn't mean we are going to abandon the running game which has been so good for us. He has strengths and his very mature.”
On bye-week success:
“The key is to have really good players. If you don't have good players, then those records aren't as good. We practice a certain way. Our players and coaches believe in our system. We're doing a plus-one this week. Usually we don't practice on Monday, but today we will. The key is to not beat up the players.”
On LSU having to prepare for two quarterbacks:
“A lot of that is overrated. One is a great proven player and the other has a lot of ability. Things change and we won't abandon the things we do. I don't know of any advantage in them having to prepare for two quarterbacks.”
On Baton Rouge in 2007:
“Coach Strong mentioned that game. It was a tough night. We needed to make a stop on defense, not allow a score or not turn the ball over. It haunts us. They had a great team, with great personnel. They won the championship that year. Our guys played hard. We expect the same type of game, with the same type of atmosphere.”
On the LSU/Georgia game:
“There was no shortage of NFL talent in that game. It was not because of a lack of effort on LSU's part. They were facing a really tough defense. Every year, everyone looks at you and tries to figure out which way you're headed. Some teams go one way and some go the other. The Florida Gators statistically are alright, but we haven't played the way we're capable. The great thing about college football is that eventually a few teams start to separate themselves from everyone.”
On Brantley's maturity:
“There is so much to playing quarterback. It's more than catching the snap and throwing the ball. That's obviously a big part of it, but you've got to call the plays in a tough environment. We've been practicing with crowd noise all week. It's just the management of the game. You've got 10 other guys looking at you for the play call. You've got to execute the offense, much like the Mike linebacker on defense. A year ago, he wasn't a good presence in the huddle or a good presence on the sideline, but that's much different now. Even with Tim playing, our backup quarterback is very involved in the whole mechanics of getting the play call in and the discussion on the sideline. Johnny is very well prepared to take that next step.”
On current injuries:
“Deonte (Thompson) is good, Tim is a work in progress. Moses Jenkins is a critical guy and everyone is just brushing that off. The return unit that we're facing is dynamic. We have one guy that is sick and that's Nick Alajajian. Other than that we're good. (Lawrence) Marsh I'll know more today, the Pounceys are good to go. (Marcus) Gilbert is good to go. (Brandon) Antwine is still day-to-day with his shoulder. We'll know more Tuesday.”
On being 6-6 vs. SEC West in the regular season:
“It's probably really good players. I'm not sure how the SEC figured out that we had to play LSU every year. We happen to get them when their loaded up real good with players. It's a players' game. Just watch what happens in the next five years, a bunch of those cats will be playing in the NFL and so will the Gators. This is two top-five teams playing. I imagine we haven't done really well against very talented teams.”
On LSU defense:
“I think their defensive front is a typical LSU. The back end is where they're improving. Numbers seven, twenty-nine and four are really good. This will be as good a defense as there is in college football.”
On Saturday's game in Baton Rouge:
“I think these games come down to field position. It would not have come down to that if we had taken care of the ball. We did it and it happened. You can't say it came down to one fourth-down call. It's not uncommon to play highly- ranked teams at Florida. We have some experience. We won some of those games. We have to play great defense. If you don't, you have no chance to win this game.”
On baseline testing:
“Concussions are much different than injuries such as a sprained ankle. Some injuries you want to test and have players push to recover from. With concussions, you don't push at all. It's not the first concussion we've had; probably our fifth or sixth this year. Tim has been methodically doing what he is told. Moses is doing the same and we'll find out about how is doing today. It's not the same, you don't push. I'd like to know the history of the baseline testing. I think it is great; especially when dealing with a concussion.”
