DE Chris Long
October 22, 2008
(On playing the Patriots and trying to stop Bill Belichick over there)
“They are the four-time Super Bowl champs. I’m very familiar with the way they do things, playing under (Virginia Cavaliers) Coach (Al) Groh, that’s one of (New England Patriots) Coach (Bill) Belichick’s guys. I have a great deal of respect for the way they do things. I know we’re just going to have to go up there and bring our ‘A’ game, play our best game to date, to be able to play with these guys in a hostile environment. You saw what they did on Monday night and they are capable of doing that any week.”
(On stopping the run and if it is more about discipline or understanding what they are up to)
“Discipline. Nothing anybody does is rocket science. We have great coaches, they have great coaches. Our coaches will be able to give us a proper game plan. It’s going to be up to us to be in the right gaps. Usually when a team gets a great amount of yards like they did Monday night, guys are in the wrong gaps and such. We just have to focus on our fundamentals.”
(On if he feels like he is getting better every week)
“A little bit. You take some steps backwards sometimes, but overall you just get more and more comfortable. Sometimes, somebody can tell you something a thousand times, but the only way you can get better is to screw it up once or play through a game and that is what I’m going through right now. I’m having fun and I’m getting comfortable.”
(On how often he talks to his Dad)
“We talk a lot. Just imagine how much a kid talks to their parent anyways about whatever they’re doing and imagine if he played 13 years, he’d have some stuff to say. He’s done a good job, though, giving me my space and really it’s just when I have questions. We talk every day just as father and son.”