Monday news and notes |
CLEMSON – Quotes from selected players during Monday’s media session in the WestZone.
Wide receiver
Sammy Watkins
Sammy Watkins
Fr. Wide Receiver
#7 6-1, 200
Fort Myers, FL
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On liking Clemson because it’s quiet
"You've got to actually find trouble or do something really stupid to get in trouble. It's like family. Everybody around here is a Clemson fan. Where I come from there was drugs, shooting and violence. When I came up here, everybody was nice and said ‘Hi.’ “
On film study
“I sneak in here on Monday and we are always watching our opponents. And we are always watching film as a group. I go to the house and study a little bit.”
On being physical
“As a player, I need to work on being physical. I can handle contact when getting hit with the ball. But going up and competing for the ball - that is what I need to get better at.”
On teams focusing on him
“They are focusing on me more. I am seeing a lot of Cover 2 and Cover 4. They have a linebacker looking at me in case I go inside. But we are watching what they do, and I can go and tell the coaches what they are doing and what kind of play we can run. I told them Saturday what plays could be open to my side and we ran those plays.”
On a few of Boyd’s passes being short to him
“I don’t say anything to him during the game, but I do say something to him at halftime. I tell him, ‘Throw your arm out. Just throw it as far as you can. But I blame that on fatigue and his being tired. I can't blame him for that.”
On getting asked for autographs in class
“Dudes have asked me, but just one or two of them. It’s not like it’s the whole class.”
On who is faster, Watkins or
Mike Bellamy
Mike Bellamy
Fr. Running Back
#5 5-10, 175
Nocatee, FL
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, who beat Watkins at a track meet in high school
“He knows he can't beat me now. He doesn’t say too much about it.”
On how playing quarterback in high school helps him as a receiver
“At quarterback, you have to read the coverage. You can look in the secondary and see if they are running Cover 2 or Cover 3. You can tell if they are playing back or playing bump-and-run.”
Linebacker
Corico Hawkins
Corico Hawkins
Jr. Linebacker
#42 5-11, 230
Milledgeville, GA
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On paying attention to what the media is saying about Clemson
“It all sounds good. But like I stated in previous interviews – before the season started no one was talking about Clemson. Clemson wasn’t even a blip on the radar. We have to stay humble and stay focused. Because just as fast as they talk about Clemson, it can quickly change and there will be no more Clemson. They will say ‘Clemson is exactly what we were expecting.’”
Defensive back
Coty Sensabaugh
Coty Sensabaugh
Gr. Defensive Back
#15 6-0, 180
Kingsport, TN
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On the cohesion of the secondary
“I think we are starting to get used to each other. We lost some guys from last year, and we are finally getting used to each other and complementing each other well. Everybody is doing their job.”
On lessening number of “chunk” plays
“We are just making plays. It is guys out there making plays. But we as a whole are never satisfied and no matter how well you play you can always play better.”
On not being overconfident
“When you go through what we went through last year, you get humbled. We know there is a very fine line between winning and losing and I don’t think you have to worry about this team.”
On season going too quick
“I wouldn’t say it is going by too fast, because I am enjoying every moment of it, but it is going by fast.”
Defensive end
Malliciah Goodman
Malliciah Goodman
Jr. Defensive End
#97 6-4, 280
Florence, SC
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On defensive line getting pressure on quarterback last few weeks
“It is more of a mindset. We knew we needed to turn it up. We just started working on the little things, like getting off the ball and working on how we are going to attack a guy.’
On Goodman’s success Saturday
“They paid a lot of attention to [Andre] Branch. He was coming over to me and saying he was getting double-teamed and triple-teamed, and I was like “I am getting single blocked over here.’ But that opens things up for me and I know that Kourtnei [Brown] got a sack later on. My core strength is a lot better and my technique has improved a lot. This week I just relaxed a little bit and did me.”
On lack of early-season stats
“Stats are not everything in football. It is about doing your job and helping your team. Pressure is the whole thing. If you can get the quarterback to step up or roll out or acknowledge you are there then you have done your job.”
On reaction of defense when Boyd went down
“I know the stadium got real quiet, but we just had to rally each other up. On Cole’s first play, I don’t think you could hear anybody in the stands. We just had to rally everybody up.”
Linebacker Tig Willard
On playing well this season after being injured last year
“I think of this year as my coming-out party. I try to play fast and to the best of my ability. I want to make every tackle and every play. I know that is unrealistic but that is my goal. Last year, me and some teammates spent at least an hour a day watching film and going over plays. I watch about 13 hours of film a week.”
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