Boston College Athletics
Crane Discusses Spring Practice, Personal Preparation for Fall
April 08, 2008 | Football
April 8, 2008
With its indoor practice bubble deflated and in moth balls for the summer, the Boston College football team takes to the practice field twice this week in preparation for its first intrasquad scrimmage of the spring practice season this coming Saturday. The scrimmage is closed to the public.
For four seasons, senior quarterback Chris Crane has waited patiently for his chance to lead the BC football team, first as a redshirt freshman and then as the backup to future first-round draft choice Matt Ryan. Today, the 6-4 native of Mechanicsburg, Pa., talks about spring practice, the development of his offensive line, and what he must do to win the starting job this fall.
Q: What are your impressions of spring practice thus far?
A: I think practice has gone really well so far. We lost a lot of seniors last year, so the big question going into spring was about how the new senior class would step up, and how the younger guys would step into more of an older role. I believe we have done that really well. Offensively, we started off doing a lot of things really well. In the run game, the offensive line has done exceptionally well so far. The guys filling in, (Thomas) Claiborne and (Rich) Lapham, and the guys who have been there have shown a lot of growth and maturity. I think they're going to do really well for us. Defensively, we've always been strong there, and they look as tough as ever. Things are really starting to click. We still have a lot of practice left, and I think only good things can click in the future.
Q: How confident are you that you will win the starting quarterback job?
A: I feel really confident in myself, just getting all the extra reps. I am seeing the field tremendously, and I've had more than a year in our offense now. It's really starting to click in my mind. Coach (Steve) Logan and I have gotten together a bunch of times, just talking about the offense in general. It's something that has to become second nature to me, a second language.
Q: Has it been frustrating for you to play behind Matt the past few years?
A: It is frustrating. I like to think of myself as a competitor, and you can't be competitive if you're not playing. But, in another sense, I feel somewhat fortunate to have been able to sit back and watch someone who has played the game so well, just to observe. Matt has taught me a lot, and I can't dwell on the past and go into a shell. I took everything that I could in stride. I really learned and progressed throughout my four years here. I feel that will show in that upcoming season.
Q: How would you evaluate your offensive line so far?
A: I believe our line will be as good, if not better, than last year. A lot was thrown on them last year, a new zone scheme and different protections, and they did really well with it. I believe the extra year, the extra practices, the ability to sit back in the off-season and observe what they did has really helped. We have some new guys stepping in who are really big. (Thomas) Claiborne and (Rich) Lapham are enormous people. They're going to be tremendous assets to us, because they're going to be able to push bodies around. The main thing with the offensive line is just being able to know what you have to do. I believe that, with an extra year in the system, they'll know what they have to do and be able to execute it very well.
Q: What are your personal goals for this spring and summer to prepare yourself to win the starting QB job this fall?
A: I believe I just have to exert a leadership role, just make the people around me better which will, in turn, make me better. If everyone else around me is doing their best job, it makes my job a whole lot easier. Once the offense starts clicking, everyone's confidence goes up, and everyone benefits from that.
