I'm very proud of some things about this team. We have over 70 percent of our players graduate in the last 11 years. And 14 to 18 players on this year's team already have graduated. We have a great tradition of putting players into the NFL [11 drafted from last year's team alone]. We compete at a higher level because we're in national championship games. I do think we have character on this team.
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Guys weren't really sure how to do it. I liked it. It was fun and I didn't break anything.
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Everybody wants to play well on Saturday afternoon in front of 80,000 and on national television. But when you're in the hot summer sun and when you've got a chance to eat four pizzas and you don't go, that was the thing that made an indication this guy's really going to dedicate himself.
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These things are serious. We know that. If we don't know it, we should just reflect back a few weeks to Katrina. It came through here as a Category 1, and trust me, we don't want to see much more.
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I thought they were going to turn me into a tight end. I can't wait. Shoot, I was hurt the first week of camp. I haven't really played since last spring.
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I felt that it was the right decision to allow Willie into the University of Miami. I feel even more strongly about that now.
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We don't condone any activity such as that. That's not how we operate.
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He brings a real emotional lift to our defense. I saw that swagger, that enjoyment. Having fun. That's what Miami's all about.
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If you see it on tape, it really makes you ill.
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LSU met their part of the bargain and we didn't.
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I don't want to overstate the importance of our football program to the city, but South Florida's important to us and I think we're a big part of South Florida. I hope people can enjoy just a little break from the monotony of all the terrible things that have happened.
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We wanted to play in the Orange Bowl, since it's our home. It's an opportunity to give something back to the community a little bit.
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This is a very important spring practice for us. It's important that we believe in ourselves and our players believe in what we're doing and what we're trying to accomplish.
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The protection is better, but I think the ball is also being released quicker, because he knows more where to go with the ball, ... We have to get the ball in the hands of the good players, and I see that type of progress from Kyle.
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We can't block him, ... He'll be an outstanding player. He's smart, plays hard every down. He's good.
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For me, personally and professionally, it was a very tough decision. But it's a decision that had to be made. Our performance has not been up to expectations at the University of Miami.
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He's going to be as good as advertised. He's still young. He's still learning, but he's really going to be a good player, a difference-maker type player. I'm not concerned about him.
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It was a little spirited today. It gets hot and tempers flare a little bit.
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[There are, of course, several reasonable explanations for what happened. In the three years prior to last season, Miami lost eight underclassmen that went on to become first-round NFL draft picks. It was bound to catch up at some point] Last year we could have had [safety Sean ] Taylor , [tight end Kellen ] Winslow , [defensive tackle Vince ] Wilfork and McGahee , ... I don't know, does that win you a game in overtime or erase a six-point deficit [against Virginia Tech?]
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He has shown me a lot. He's going to be an outstanding player.
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He's really stepped his game up and developed a lot of confidence, and he's getting a lot of confidence in himself of being able to really contribute and being a marquee player for us.
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This puts us right where we want to be. Down the stretch, a lot of crazy things happen.
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We haven't even talked about a national championship, ... Now we have to talk about beating Clemson.
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I think he can be that type player.
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I don't know if any program will ever have a streak like that again. It's a different world.
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I think we're going to be good at that position. But to say anybody's really stepped up and made us say, 'This guy is a great player,' I really haven't seen that, no.
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We haven't done anything yet. All this does is raise the stakes. Makes the Wake Forest game that much more important.
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Special teams really hurt us. We've been very good on special teams the last few years. Obviously, we weren't very good against Florida State.
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In college football, to be where we want to be you can't lose a game. Even sometimes when you don't lose a game, if you don't start at the right place you still don't get there. Starting high has been given more significance now than it ever has.
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Andrew's a talent. Now can he play the game? It's time for him. He's been here. We'll see if he's ready to take the next step and be a really good player.
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