Mike James
The One... and the Two
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Registered: May 2003
Local time: 02:19 PM
Location: Rice University
Posts: 1191
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Quotes from Lions QB Joey Harrington
On Ducks new uniforms….
It doesn’t matter what I thought, everyone is talking about them. They were a little interesting at first but they kind of grew on me. But like I said, people are talking.
On going into second-year and how different things are… I know what to expect now. That is the biggest thing. Last year I had so many questions and concerns, things I needed to have answered. They were things I had to go through and experience first hand. I know what to expect now. I know how to pace myself for the season and I know how to prepare for games. I know how the NFL is different than college and I know these things now so I am able to prepare better since I know what to expect.
On whether or not it is tough with a new head coach…. Not at all. The offense is exactly the same. Coach has done a very good job of being consistent in what he says and does. What he says in the meeting rooms is exactly how he acts on the practice field which has really created a lot of respect. People respect a person who sticks by their word and Coach Mariucci has shown us that.
On losing James Stewart and picking up Olandis Gary… Obviously, James is a very big part of this team and whenever you lose someone like that it is going to hurt. He was consistent and you always know what you are going to get from James so that leaves a question mark in that area. However, I think we have guys in Shawn and Avon and now Olandis that can come in and fill that void. It is a question mark and at times nerve-rattling when you don’t know what is going on but at the same time it is exciting to see what these young back can do.
On Charles Rogers… Charles is doing terrific. He really is. He’s shown that he wants to work. He’s shown that he wants to be part of this team and he’s taken all of the necessary steps to do that. He’s impressed the veterans. He’s impressed everybody by not only the way he plays, but how he works and tries to learn and fit in.
On Rogers’ biggest challenge as a rookie… It’s a long season., a long, long season. It is essentially two full college seasons. That was my biggest hurdle last year, trying to push myself through all 20 weeks of the season. There are things you don’t know and things you can’t know until you go through them and that is one of them.
On Detroit going in right direction… I believe so. I absolutely believe so. I never thought it was going in the wrong direction. The Fords are very committed to winning and you see that all the time. They are around all of the time and you can see how passionate they are about this football team and that is good to see. They are willing to do the things it takes to win. Building the facility, bringing in the free agents. We have one of, if not the best, practice facilities in the entire country. They are very passionate about winning here.
On what he learned going through a season of struggle versus coming into a winning organization…
I don’t know how realistic that question is. If you are picked third, you are not going to be going to a team that has been winning. It was a different season for me last year and at times it was very difficult. Number one, it was difficult because I had never gone through it before and number two, I had never lost like that before and it was tough to deal with. I think enough of the returning guys, and the coaching staff, and the organization are sick of going through that and are committed to changing it.
On fans having too high of expectations with Mariucci… Not at all. I don’t take any time to read the papers or watch the news but in the few clips I have stumbled across, I think people are being very guarded, yet optimistic. I think people are realistic in knowing that we are not going to go 16-0. People have realistic expectations outside of the organization, the fans I mean. Inside the organization, the coaches and the players, Coach Mariucci has done a great job of inspiring us and has really brought a different atmosphere and attitude around here.
On people in Detroit expecting Lions to take an easy win over Cards… The Cards are the only team, correct me if I am wrong, to go 4-0 this preseason. They run the ball extremely well. They do a lot of different things on defense which are tough to prepare for. As I learned last year, there are no games in this league that you can guarantee a victory. I think it is foolish for people to think we are going to come in and walk away with a victory. We were the second worst team in the NFL last year. Let’s be honest here. There was one team in this league that finished with a worse record than us. For someone to think we are just going to walk in and cruise out with a victory is foolish.
Source: www.nfl.com
Last edited by Mike James on 09-05-2003 at 11:40 PM | Reason For Edit: Added Picture
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09-05-2003 11:17 PM
