Boston College Athletics
Quotes from Defense
August 18, 2015 | Football
Defensive Coordinator Don Brown
On improving from last season…
“Coaches really made a point that, as a team, we left four wins on the table. And obviously, there is enough blame to go around and we are trying to improve in all phases that can help finish games. I think that at the same time, we are trying to increase our depth and I believe we are doing that.”
On the veterans…
“Here is what we got. We have four great dudes that have played a lot of football. Up front, it’s [Connor] Wujciak, a tough guy who can really make plays for us. I wouldn’t trade him for any nose guard in the ACC. The other guy up front is Medhi [Abdesmad], who is kind of fighting his own personal [injury] battle, bu if we can get this guy right and get him to the dance, I think we have a great football player who can add depth to our defense. Connor has really come out of his shell in terms of his personality to the defense, which is great to see. His own maturity and makeup has changed drastically and I think that this is a guy who is fixed and focused on being one of those guys who can have a great season and then move on from there. Medhi is really fighting his own physical battle, but he is an intangible guy, there is no question about it, and we are just crossing our fingers. Steven Daniels is a vocal, emotional, tough guy. Really a tremendous run-defender and we’re trying to make him a better pass defender. We are trying to make him a better finisher. But he also the kind of guy who others gravitate toward. He is an emotional guy. He’s not perfect but we’re going to play the game aggressively. Justin Simmons has just flat out grown as a football player. He has come a long way since two years ago and he can run all day. We are practicing here in some rough weather, which is great, something we need, but at the same time he can run all day and he does. He doesn’t care how many reps he take and he has a tremendous grasp on the back end and he has everybody’s attention on the defense as well.”
On the BC defensive philosophy…
“Obviously we stop the run. From there, we are going to be aggressive. You’ve got to be ready to deal from all kinds of things from us. Whether it’s a four-man rush, a five-man rush, a six-man rush, or even a seven-man rush, but at least we plant it in their head. They have to be ready for max pressure and we are hoping that we can do what we want to do and not what we need to do. That is kind of what we are looking to get done this year.”
Junior LB Mike Strizak
On working with the younger players…
“It’s the third year with Coach Brown so we are just trying to teach [the younger players] all the little things and take them under our wings to be successful here. We’re just trying to help them learn the defense and that will [lead to us] achieving success”
On building on last year’s success…
“We all just bought into [the goals for this season]. There are a lot of veterans, a lot of returning starters and everyone just believes in the system. We want to build on the success of last year and just keep rolling on last year’s success.”
On what BC Defense is…
“A lot of energy, tough, flying [after the ball] and a hard nose defense. That is what we pride ourselves on.”
Senior DL Connor Wujciak
On preseason camp…
“Camp is hard for everybody. The first year of camp, everyone remembers that as being terrible. We are trying to take the young guys under our wings and tell them, ‘We know this is hard but just push through it and everything will be fine.’”
On what makes the BC defense successful…
“Hard work. Everyone has been out here working really hard. It’s a strong mental effort. Today was a hot day and everyone has to stay focused, but coaches are pushing us and we are pushing each other and I think that is the biggest contributor for our continued success.
