If you want to review, parse and examine the words, mannerisms and comments of Coach Todd Graham yourself, feel free to watch the press conference here (Maybe. I can’t get the damn things to play. Except for the blooper reel — which has a black bar going across it to obscure the picture and prevent me from grabbing a direct link on the splash page. Rieur1114 had a good point.).
I think I found my way to find it and sadly it seems the main issue is simply mistakes in the links. While there are lots of problems with the Pitt site, credit should go to getting a load of video interviews up from the first day.
The start with Paul Randolph trying to read off his full title really does sum up the ridiculous number of titles so many of the coaches have.
Here’s a transcript of the remarks of Coach Graham from the opening presser (PDF). This link should work for the video.
Here are the video interviews with players:
Now, you listen to Graham talk, he seems like a totally easy going guy. A player’s coach. A guy at ease with the media. The actions it should be noted, though, have that strong strain of coach-control-freak. Not a Saban-esque little dictator, but definitely trying to control things. We saw it with the closed practices in the spring. Now the shut-down of Twitter.
There is a ban on players Tweeting during Training Camp. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it go longer. As much as I like Twitter, I don’t follow any players — basketball or football — because like Bryan, I want to give the kids some space. But if I’m a coach, I’m scared as hell about what a kid might pop-off and do. So it doesn’t surprise me.
A little more surprising is the ban on all sideline Twitter. Whether it’s the media or any of the Media relations people of Pitt. Not sure why, but it means any injuries or circus catches will not be known until practices are over. The ads to be involved in Pitt social networks (facebook, twitter) on the site and in the video interviews takes on no irony. None at all. The only exception to the Tweet ban — the coach’s wife, Penni Graham (Coach Graham, just like the rest of us married shlubs).
Silly little stuff, but when everyone is craving info of any little nugget of info, it is worth noting. On to the news of the day.
The big early stuff was Linebacker/Defensive End Bryan Murphy being declared academically ineligible for this season. I don’t know what his impact would have been, but based on expectations, potential and the play of LBs last year — I think many of us expected Murphy would move into a key if not starting player in the new defensive scheme. Zeise is right about what this means for one player.
But frankly, here is the key — it is now or never time for Shayne Hale, who seems to be the next guy in line (at least in terms of skill set). Hale has played some defensive end as well and may ultimately end up at that spot but he now needs to be a factor in all of this and his time needs to be now as his time is running out.
Will Hale? Brandon Lindsey took advantage of his opportunity. Now he is the man on defense. He is looking forward to the season in the new defense.
He said the position is a perfect fit for his skill set and will ask him to do things he did when he played linebacker at Aliquippa High School.
And he said the style of defense the Panthers will play — an aggressive 3-4 featuring a lot of blitzes — will give him a chance to make even more big plays than he did last year.
“My goal is to get 15 sacks this year,” Lindsey said, “and that’s possible in this defense.
“I’ve stood up before in my career. I was a linebacker when I first got here, and this isn’t much different. I’m pretty excited to get going because I think we are going to be a really good defense, and this position seems like it will be a lot of fun to play.”
Graham said it isn’t a surprise that Lindsey — who sat out of spring drills with a shoulder injury — is at the top of the depth chart at Panther linebacker because he fits the mold for that position.
And he also expects Lindsey to be the team’s top pass rusher, which is why they will move him around each game based on matchups.
Generally the Panther linebacker will line up on the left side of the defense opposite from the right tackle, but Graham said Lindsey gives the coaches flexibility.
“That was our plan all along,” Graham said of starting Lindsey. “He will play the Panther position.
“Greg Williams and Todd Thomas will be on the other side at what we call the spur position. But we will move Brandon around and try to get our best guy on their less guy.
“And we’re multiple in our fronts, so he will be the Panther in our 3-4, and when we are in 4-3 he will be a defensive end.”
And confirming that Todd Thomas is still on the defense. I really like that for Pitt.
Speaking of switching from one side of the ball to the other… How’s it going Kevin Adams?
Kevin Adams has apparently become the new Craig Bokor/Marcus Furman as he is moving positions – again. This time he is going from linebacker to H-back, which is interesting because he is listed at the top of the spur linebacker position on the preseason depth chart in the media guide. If he truly is the next Bokor, one can only surmise that Adams will probably be an H-Back for a while before he moves back to linebacker for the spring.
In his video interview, Adams seemed to take things in stride, but damn that has to be frustrating.
As much as Graham is different from Wannstedt, they are capable of sounding exactly the same in print.
“The key is going to be turnovers and penalties — if we can limit both, we can score a lot of points.”
Heck, he’ll even hedge when it comes to playing freshmen.
“I made a commitment to our seniors that we’ll do what we have to do to win football games this year. If a young man can help us win football games, we’re going to do what’s best for the team first. But you also have to smart and not have a kid burn his redshirt on two plays.
“I feel good about the nucleus of this team. So for a guy to come in and play for this team, he’s going to have to be really special.”
And it couldn’t be the start of camp with the new regime, without the obligatory story on how the players are buying into all the new stuff.
It wasn’t always the case, but junior running back Ray Graham said he and his teammates share their coach’s fervor for success.
“I think everybody bought in,” said Ray Graham, who admitted to being “heartbroken” following the dismissal of former coach Dave Wannstedt until “Coach came in and made us feel comfortable.”
He added, “When he brought that enthusiasm and excitement to the table, we were like, ‘OK, we’re gonna give this guy a chance.’ ”
Good idea.
“What you see is what you get,” Ray Graham said. “He’s the same way every day. That’s what I like about him.”
…
“I wouldn’t say everyone has bought in,” Todd Graham said. “(But) I feel great about my team. I think the guys that are in key roles and that are playing have bought in. I would say we’re 70 to 75 percent bought-in, sold-out to what we’re doing. Everybody else kind of waits and sees what’s going to happen.”
Good things. We’re all hoping for good things.
Question: If the Panther Linebacker position is named after Hugh Green, should it be named the Green linebacker position?
“My expectation for Ray Graham is for him to be the best player in the country”
My favorite: “In my opinion, leadership wins the tough games and that is where good coaching will come in to play” — HEAR THAT, WANNY?
Satisfactory unis especially without their names on ’em.
But my first preference: Pitt script.
