2012 SEC Media Days Alabama Player Quotes
7/19/2012 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 19, 2012
Alabama Football at the 2012 SEC Media Days
Alabama Player Quotes
Tight End Michael Williams
"(On season opener) It's a great opportunity for us a team to go play in Jerry World. We're looking forward to it."
"(On the fanbase) I actually feel we have the best fans in the country. They're there when we win and when we lose. They're there when we die. There's no better fan base, I think."
"(On preparing for a championship letdown) Us as leaders, most of us now were there in 2010 and we saw what can happen, what complacency did to us. We're very imminent to not let this happen to this year's team."
"(On Wide Receiving Group) You have Kevin Norwood, and you saw what he can do in the national championship game. There's also guys like Christian Jones that can make plays. As for the freshmen, Eddie Williams. Cyrus Jones has the quickness of anyone on the team and he's just a freshman."
"(On learning a new offense) It's been a challenge for us but we've got a spring game and the summer almost finished and a camp to look forward to so it'll be polished by the time the season starts.
"(On being a target) We always feel we have a target on our backs. It's not up to us to say who's No. 1 and No. 2. It's up to us to do the work and play the games, and we like our chances if we do those things right."
"(On Quarterback A.J. McCarron) A.J. was a plugin to the offense last year because he was a new quarterback. Now, he's in a leadership role and getting the right plays called for the right situations. I'm looking forward to him having a great season."
"(On Quarterback A.J. McCarron) Leadership is a big thing on our team. Because we have a lot of younger guys, we have to have him step up and show how things are done. His accuracy is better, and his arm strength has always been there, and he's just worked this offseason on developing that leadership."
"(On his expanded role at tight end) It's pretty nice. I'm ready for the challenge. I'm ready to be an every down tight end for our team. It requires something I've never done, and I'm just ready for the season to start to show what I've been working on."
Center Barrett Jones
"(On Quarterback A.J. McCarron) A.J.'s starting to become a vocal leader on the team. Last year, it was harder for him to be a leader because there was a question of who was going to be the quarterback, but the way he came into Beaver Stadium before everyone against Penn State, you could just see he was going to be a leader. We threw more responsibility on him as the year went on, culminating in the national championship. He's working hard this summer and setting the example for the younger guys on how to work, what to do."
"(On not letting 2010 season happen again) The message is the same. I think the difference was the first time, Coach Saban said `No Complacency' and we talked about it and said to each other but for some reason, we just didn't buy into it. This year, it's started with the older guys talking to the younger guys. It's not going to sneak up on us this year. We know that we have to if anything, work harder this year than last year. We have a lot of guys from that 2010 season and we all had a bad feeling from that season and we don't want to feel that way again."
"(On team's defense) It's everything you can want as an offense. Knowing we have the defense we do, we can take more chances as an offense, knowing that if we have to punt or if a long throw is intercepted, 70 percent of the time, we're getting the ball back again with the other team even getting a first down."
"(On running back position) Eddie Lacy is going to become that marquee back. He was banged up last year and didn't get a chance to show what he can do. He's unique, a hard worker, and I've enjoyed playing with him. The whole position is like having a stable. I think the second spot is up for grabs right now, and I think we'll play a lot of guys early in competition for that spot. But there won't be a lot of drop off, I can tell you that."
"(On season opener) I love it. I love opening up against a marquee opponent. It gives you that little bit of extra motivation in the offseason because you know what you're working towards. When you open up with someone else, you can think you might have a few weeks to work everything in and get it right, but playing a team like Michigan, it gets you through those days of camp with it's 110 degrees outside when you can remind each other about Michigan and the opener and playing in the Jerry Dome."
Defensive End Damion Square
"On season opener) I'm born and raised in Texas so this is a great way to start my senior year. To go play in Jerry's House and play a great team like Michigan. There's no better way to start season so I'm looking forward to it."
"(On not repeating 2010 season) Some of us older guys have experience with that because of what happened before. We saw what can happen, the things that should've been stopped, and the good things that happened because there were good things we did that year. We just have to make sure that we do the good things and look out for everything else and that's why we're going to be better prepared this year."
"(On Jesse Williams Nose Tackle move) From a position standpoint, it's going to be a great because he can take up that space and fill that space. For a guy like me at defensive end, I couldn't ask for a better nose tackle because he'll send some of that action out to me, we call them cheap plays."
"There's a reason we have guys that go in the first round because we recruit nationally, and we have new talent coming in to fill those gaps. Every year, everybody's going to have a year where they fill in spots so we just have to give those (new) guys time to learn what they need to do so that we can compete in this league."
"(On team's defense) It's a system. We have great guys that play in the system, but that doesn't take away from the system. We have a great defensive coach in Nick Saban and a great defensive coordinator in Kirby Smart who study film and develop us. The system is the system. It's pretty dynamic though, and new the new guys that come in, if those guys learn and master their roles within the system, it'll make us that much stronger."
