Aug. 8, 2005
2005 Notre Dame Football Media Day
August 8, 2005
Victor Abiamiri
Junior
Defensive Line
On stepping up his game this season …
“I think it’s huge. I’m ready to step up into that leadership position and I’m excited to do that. I think we have a lot of talent on the defensive line and we are all ready to play.”
On what he looks to improve on …
“I’ve been working on my consistency a little bit more. I’m trying to work hard play after play after play. I don’t want to be showing just glimpses anymore, I want to be consistent.”
On the importance of having confidence as a team …
“I think it’s important to go into a game with a good attitude. It all starts with your attitude. If you don’t have a great attitude, then you don’t have a chance. So it all begins with that and it’s very important.”
Anthony Fasano
Senior
Tight End
On the opportunity to learn from former NFL player and coach Bernie Parmalee…
“Just having a guy who knows what it takes and what it’s about is great. It goes a lot further when you’re hearing it from a guy who’s been there and done it all before. As a tight end group, we’re just trying to take it all in and learn as much as we can.”
On his first impression of head coach Charlie Weis…
“We knew him a little bit because he actually came in to talk to us the winter before (he was hired). We had an idea about his hard-nosed attitude and how up-front he is. He’s very organized and things pretty much go the way he wants them to. That’s how football is and that’s what we need.”
D.J. Fitzpatrick
Senior
Kicker
On Coach Weis making you nervous with the importance of special teams…
“No, not at all. My job is to go out there and hit a good punt and its their job to go down and cover it. Each person has a job to do and there is no more pressure on me than there is on any members of the special teams.”
On betting the starting job…
“I practice expecting to be out their on every play. If it’s not me, then hopefully the next guy will step up.”
Brandon Hoyte
Senior – Defensive Captain
Linebacker
On the excitement of starting the season…
“It’s time. That’s the key statement right now. It’s time to get everything going and it’s time to get on the field and start working hard.”
On the team’s summer workout routine…
“Coach (Ruben) Mendoza has been doing a wonderful job getting us trained. The good thing is that this team has been buying into the program and we’re working extremely hard.”
On the team’s unity…
“We have a mindset as a team right now, and that’s all about being a team and coming together. We’re all working to accomplish our goals.”
On the lack of attention being paid to the defense…
“We don’t need people to talk. We’ll show them well enough. We have a lot talent and we have guys that are hungry and ready to go. That’s what you need on defense – 11 guys willing to do whatever it takes to get the ball.”
Corey Mays
Senior
Linebacker
On two-a-days …
“This is really the last time that the team gets to gel before we get into the season. We have the adjust to the adversity that might come before us and get focused on the season.”
Rhema McKnight
Senior
Wide Receiver
On the difficulty involved with learning the new system…
“It’s going to be hard to learn any new system you come into. It’s going to be hard picking up certain things, but we’ve come along well as a team.”
On the experience of the receiving corps…
“We’ve got some veteran guys coming back, and we’ve got some younger guys who can benefit from us veterans. As a whole, we’ll come out and do very well.”
On the realization that 2005 is his last season at Notre Dame…
“It’s already hit me. I’ve been thinking about that since the last game of last season. Hopefully things will go well for the team as a whole, as a receiving corps and for me individually.”
On the new ‘nasty’ attitude of Notre Dame football…
“That means `football’ to me. That’s what football is all about – playing big, acting tough and having a nasty attitude on the field.”
Brady Quinn
Junior – Offensive Captain
Quarterback
On his attitude in the face of adversity …
“I try to go out there and do my best in whatever situation I’m presented with. Anytime you’re dealing with a bunch of intangibles over a broad situation, all you can do is try to have a favorable outcome.”
On what makes the Irish offense run smoothly…
“One of the biggest things about our offense is that it plays to your strengths. Coach Weis isn’t going to ask us to do things outside of ourselves, which is a tremendous help.”
On the expectations associated with playing at Notre Dame…
“So far, it’s been one of those things that I haven’t really had a lot of time to sit around and reflect on. I’m sure that once I sit down and look at everything I had to go through, I’ll be able to see it.”
Matt Shelton
Senior
Wide Receiver
On this morning’s first workout …
“I think it went well. There was a certain level of intensity there even though we were just doing some conditioning tests. There definitely was a sense of urgency to get out there and get it done and have a good showing for the coaches.”
On his impressions of the new Guglielmino Athletics Complex (‘The Gug’) …
“It’s an amazing place. The facility is amazing. When the recruits come in, they are going to see the football program has really taken a step up and they are going to love it.”
On the one thing that impressed him the most about ‘The Gug’ …
“The locker room because it is so big. It’s very nice. I think by having the locker room over here and not being over at the stadium as much, it’s going to bring back a certain mystique to the stadium.”
Dan Stevenson
Senior
Offensive Line
On the team’s focus for the morning’s conditioning test …
“It was definitely a good outcome. Conditioning was one of the main things that we wanted to work on. We wanted to make sure that we were in great shape heading into the season. I think that is something we definitely worked towards.”
On Coach Weis wanting the offensive line to have a defensive mentality …
“I agree. I think it’s definitely something that needs to be done. I think this day in age with the kind of offense that we want to run and the kind of program that we want to be you have to be aggressive and you have to be dominant.”
On the status of the offensive line …
“We have every one coming back so I don’t expect anything but greatness. We have a great group with great back-ups so I think it’s going to be a time to shine for the offensive line.”
Darius Walker
Sophomore
Running Back
On how the new Guglielmino Athletics Complex will help with recruiting …
“A new facility like this puts us on another level. You now get the school with the tradition and at the same time you get the new facility with the top-notch weight room and training program. This thing is amazing. I wasn’t expecting all of this. This is way over my expectations.”
On having the entire offensive line back …
“That’s big, especially with the type of offensive line that we have coming back. Those guys work so hard for me and they open up so many great holes. It’s great when those types of guys come back because with time people only get better. Those guys are gelling and I’m gelling with them too. I know what types of blocking they are going to do and they know what kind of running I’m going to do.”
On knowing what to expect during training camp with the new coaching staff …
“They definitely let us know what it’s going to be like intensity wise, especially Coach Weis. He tells us that he’s going to coach us hard. I think that is definitely something that we get from him. We get the criticism when we are doing something wrong and even when we are doing well. You get a good balance of everything because the coaches have the experience and they give it to us. When we do well they tell us something we could have done better and when we do bad they tell us something that would have been good.”
Tom Zbikowski
Junior
Safety
On the first defense vs. the first offense …
“I like doing because the speed of the game is better and you get the game tempo which helps you to get ready for the opponents.”
On being a leader …
“Just having experience and showing the younger players what they have to do to be successful and what not. I also see how my teammates view me, they respect me enough to name me a position captain.”
On a young secondary …
“We are a little uneasy, but the secondary will make plays and after we get settled in, you will see that we are not unexperienced, even with just Mike (Richardson) and myself being the only regulars back from last season.”