Listen to today's SEC Players Press Conference!
Florida players Tim Tebow, Joe Haden and Maurkice Pouncey spoke from 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. ET, and Alabama players John Parker Wilson, Rashad Johnson and Antoine Caldwell talked from 1:30 - 2:00 p.m. ET.
QUOTES FROM TODAY'S SEC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PLAYERS MEDIA TELECONFERENCE (Monday, Dec. 1)
FLORIDA DB JOE HADEN
CHUCK DUNLAP: We'll start things off with Joe Haden. Joe, if you want to just start us off with some thoughts on the upcoming championship game against Alabama and then we'll take a couple questions.
JOE HADEN: Basically I thought coming in with a real strong offensive line. That's their main thing, and their running game. So our defensive line and linebackers will be up for the challenge. They have a really good passing game, too, with talented receivers, so defending that, we'll have to come to play, also.
Q. Joe, you guys have been able to get off to unbelievably quick starts this year. Alabama has been the same way. How important do you think it is for this game?
JOE HADEN: It's going to be real big to get off to a good start. That's what we've been thriving on, just coming out and playing our hardest at the beginning of the game. That kind of sometimes takes the life out of the other team, so basically you want to come out and keep doing what we've been doing, executing, playing hard defense, getting the ball from the defense to the offense, just keep exploding, keep them from putting up points and scoring high like they do. So that's going to be real key for us.
Q. Alabama is undefeated, No. 1 in the country, and it seems like for the last three weeks everybody has been saying you're going to the national title game. If you were Alabama, would you use that as fuel to motivate you?
JOE HADEN: If I was Alabama I definitely would, all the talk about us being in the National Championship game. They're still the undefeated team, still have not lost a game yet. If I was them, I would definitely use that as fuel.
Q. Can you just talk about the difference in this year's defense compared to last year? I know last year you got beat up at the end of the year and gave up over 40 points to Georgia and then to Michigan. What has been the difference this year?
JOE HADEN: The difference this year is mainly in experience. Last year we had a lot of young players, but this year we still have a lot of young players, but just going through the spring, going through that whole season together, learning what's going on and learning defenses, we'd be out there playing, knowing what's really going on. That's the main thing.
And then our team is just gelling together, like everybody wants to have one common goal. Last year we weren't really as tight as we could be. This year basically it's experience and having leadership like Spikes and myself and Major Wright, we're just trying to be leaders for the younger players. Like I'm trying to teach them everything I know, and you see how that's going. Everybody knows what's going on with experience and everybody is trying to get to one common goal.
Q. What was the one difference in the Ole Miss game, because defense has been playing lights out except for in that one game. What happened in that game that you were able to correct since then?
JOE HADEN: I think we came out a little lackadaisical. We didn't come out as explosive as we should have, and we just didn't really like put the pedal to the metal like we should have. We came out there a little lackadaisical. That's the one thing we're trying to do is come out the first quarter and just go as hard as we can and keep it going for the rest of the game. So that's the main thing we're going to do, coming out with intensity and starting the game off.
Q. You had talked a little bit about Alabama's passing game and how they have a pretty good passing game as well as their rushing attack. I don't know how much you've seen of them on film so far, but what sticks out about John Parker Wilson, their quarterback? What impresses you and what have you noticed?
JOE HADEN: The thing that impresses me the most is when he does get out of the pocket, he'll stay behind the line of scrimmage and let his receivers just keep working around, and sometime the DBs will come up like he already passed the line of scrimmage and he'll make plays like that. That's one thing that I'll really watch about him is he knows exactly where the line of scrimmage is and he waits until the last second to make a decision.
FLORIDA QB TIM TEBOW
CHUCK DUNLAP: Can you just start us off by talking about what it's been like being back in the championship game, this time as the starting quarterback?
TIM TEBOW: Absolutely. Well, number one, it's an honor, and I'm very excited about it. Also getting a chance to play against Alabama, a great team, being coached by a great coach, and all the great players, it's very exciting. This was our number one goal all year and all season was to get to the SEC Championship, so it means a lot now that we're here.
Q. I know when you were recruited, Alabama was in there pretty high on your list. Was it pretty much Florida all the way along for you, or was that a tough decision between Florida and Alabama?
TIM TEBOW: No, it really was a tough decision. I really liked Coach Shula, I thought he was a great coach, and I loved Alabama, the passion they had for football, the passion the fans had, and just everything. I thought it was a great town, and I really enjoyed it there.
But in the end, I loved Coach Meyer and just being a Gator, I couldn't pass it up.
Q. I know this season it's been a little bit different for you as far as your stats and numbers and your role with some of the talent you've got around you this year. How has that been for you, and do you feel like you've had just as good a year this year or better than last year?
TIM TEBOW: I thought overall I had a better year as far as handling the offense and managing and just being a quarterback and leading my team to victories. I think the best way to judge it is by our win loss column, and I think that was my number one focus was getting us to the SEC Championship. And being here, it means a lot. That's the ultimate goal, so I'm satisfied now that we've done that. But not yet, we still have one more game to go.
Q. You've been to the Georgia Dome before. Is that going to elicit some special feelings when you walk in the door there?
TIM TEBOW: I think there will be some feelings of past times in there, and it'll be a lot of fun. There will be a lot of emotion and a lot of adrenaline going in there, that's for sure.
Q. Ever since you guys got on this roll maybe two or three weeks ago especially, all the so called experts have been penciling you in for the National Championship game. If you were Alabama and undefeated and No. 1, would that bug you?
TIM TEBOW: Well, I think they're pretty mature. I think they've got mature coaches. I don't think they'll let that bother them. I don't think they worry about it, just like I don't think we'd worry about it if we were in their position. I think they're just going out there and trying to do their job like they have all year.
Q. I want to go back to the Ole Miss game, the statements you made after the game. I just wonder what you thought of that now, and how much of that was just post game emotion, and how do you feel about it when basically everything you said has come true?
TIM TEBOW: Well, I feel good about it. I felt good about it at the time. I didn't want to make any brash statements or anything just on emotion. That's why I waited and thought about it in my locker for about an hour before I came out and addressed the media, and I really just tried to say heartfelt things and didn't try to make any statements like we're going to win the rest of our games or we're going to go undefeated or anything like that. It was just that we were going to go out there and play with intensity, play with passion, character and love for the game. And that's something that we could control and something I could control. I can't control whether we win or lose, but I can control how we play. So that's all I was really trying to say.
Q. In your heart of hearts, did you think at that point that you guys would be where you are right now?
TIM TEBOW: Well, I didn't know then, but I knew the next day when we had a team meeting and some guys talked. When we went out there and practiced I knew it was going to be a different team because I knew it hurt a lot of guys more than it hurts most people when you lose, and I think that's when you see the character of a team is how you bounce back from a defeat, and I think you could really see a lot about our team.
Q. What changed for you individually from the start of the year? I mean, offensively it was a slow start and it didn't seem like you were yourself. Coach Meyer talked about how you put too much pressure on yourself. Did you do that, and did you feel a change after the Ole Miss game?
TIM TEBOW: I think for me I was probably wanting to be too perfect, like everything perfect, have a perfect season and everything, probably forcing it a little too much. After a few games I just started to relax and play, just go out there and have fun and be myself.
Q. So in essence, you stopped thinking so much and playing and having fun like you used to?
TIM TEBOW: Yep.
Q. I was wondering, what were your first impressions of Urban Meyer when you met him during the recruiting process?
TIM TEBOW: Well, first impression, I was just watching him at Utah and everything, I had seen him coach, and I knew he was a great coach. I knew he was a very intense guy, but even when you meet him you can tell how passionate he is and how intense he is and how much love he brings to the table and how much he wants to win. That's kind of the first thing that I saw when I met him, before I got to really get to know him that well, just how intense he is and how much he wants to win.
Q. He seems like a guy who pretty much demands perfection. Do you find you're a personality match with him in that regard?
TIM TEBOW: I think we're kind of similar in that way. We both want to do anything to win, and we're both going to work extremely hard, and we're going to put everything on the line.
Q. You've been pretty much in a fishbowl your entire career since you've been recruited here. How do you handle those pressures and expectations externally?
TIM TEBOW: Well, I think there's different ways people handle them, but for me I just try to take it as a blessing. You've got your pros and cons with everything, and some people can handle it as a pro or con. I just tried to look at it as a pro, as if I get to have an opportunity to share what I believe and to share everything I do with others and be put on a platform so I can set a good example for others, and that's really my ultimate goal.
Q. Coach said at one point he felt like maybe some of those external pressures were getting to you a little bit. What do you think changed during that period of time maybe earlier in the season?
TIM TEBOW: I don't really think it was the external pressures. I'd say more probably pressure I put on myself because that's always greater than anybody else could put on me. It was more going out there and playing and having fun rather than trying to be perfect.
Q. You mentioned earlier the meeting, the team meeting, the day after the Ole Miss game where other guys got up and said some stuff, too. Can you give me a little bit of the inner workings of that game, who said what, and how heated was it, or was it more just a clear the air type of thing?
TIM TEBOW: I think it was a little bit of all that. I think Coach did most of the speaking, and then he asked if anybody wanted to talk, and I did. So I got up and talked to the team. I don't think anybody else talked right then. I think a few guys, once we got out and practiced, I think Spikes said a few things before we started or something. But that was really about it.
Q. Did you see any instance where maybe the team or individual guys did not, I guess, just buy into everything that you said after that meeting? Did you have to kind of prod the team the rest of the way, or was it just kind of like a flipping a switch type of thing?
TIM TEBOW: I really don't think you had to prod or pull anybody. I think everybody bought in. I think everybody felt terrible about that game. I think everybody was determined not to let it happen again. A lot of guys after that came up to me and told me they appreciated it and they were all in, and they had the utmost confidence in our team and everything. I think it was great for me. I think everybody was kind of on that same page of we're okay, we're going to bounce back and we're going to show everybody what we're really made of.
Q. This was sort of asked a little bit earlier, but I want to ask you, are you surprised to see you guys as such heavy favorites, and do you worry that Alabama could use that as motivation against you guys a little bit?
TIM TEBOW: Well, I'm sure Alabama is going to use a lot of things as motivation, just as we will. I don't think this will be too big of a deal. I didn't even really know we were favorites until I just heard it a few minutes ago.
Q. Coach Meyer just a few minutes ago said that throughout your whole recruiting process that he thought he was behind Alabama the whole time.
TIM TEBOW: (Laughing.)
Q. And he really thought you were going to be going to Alabama, so I'm just wondering, how close were you to going there and what kind of changed at the end to make you come back to Florida?
TIM TEBOW: I was up in the air. I grew up being a huge Gator fan, loved Florida and loved everything about Florida. But then I made the best decision for me, what I felt was right, so I really tried to look with an open mind at all the schools, and I really liked Alabama, I liked Coach Shula, I liked what he stood for on and off the field, and I liked everything about their program and the passion that their fans have for football and how big it is there, because I'm very passionate about it, as well. I thought it was just a great fit, and I liked him, and I thought it would be great playing for him. So I really liked the school at Alabama.
But then at the end, I really just thought Florida was the best fit for me, playing for Coach Meyer and staying closer to home and staying in the state of Florida. I think those factors kind of were the biggest things for me.
Q. And Coach Shula, I think he's with the Jaguars now. Do you still keep in touch with him at all?
TIM TEBOW: I do talk to him every now and then. We've talked a few times during the year. He's a great guy. I'm sorry about what happened to him at Alabama, but I think he's having a great time at Jacksonville, and I think he's going to be a head coach eventually again, and he'll do a great job. He's a great guy.
Q. You're being asked so much about the comments that you made after the Ole Miss game and the leadership that you've shown since then. Has that almost been more important than what you've done on the field this year?
TIM TEBOW: Oh, I don't know. Being a leader, I guess being able to help manage guys off the field is very important. But also being a leader on the field and leading by example I think is probably more important, because guys, they're going to listen to what you say but more so what you do and how you act and how you handle yourself. So all the talking is nice, but then going out there and backing it up with your work ethic on the practice field and in the games and your courage and your heart, I think those are more important.
Q. Coach Meyer yesterday, he pointed to the fourth quarter of the Arkansas game as kind of being a point that he really saw you start to turn around and play a lot better, I guess under a lot less pressure. What do you remember about that fourth quarter of the Arkansas game and in particular about what he was talking about?
TIM TEBOW: Well, you know, I think we just started to relax and go play and stop worrying about everything and making everything perfect; it was just going out there and having fun and playing, playing the same game I've played my whole life.
Q. I wonder if you could talk a little bit about the speed that you have in your backfield and if there's any particularly interesting or funny anecdotes during the course of the year about people bragging about who's fastest and just in general what difference those guys have made for your offense this year.
TIM TEBOW: Well, they make a big difference. We have a lot of guys who can go in there and be key contributors. Starting with Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey and Emmanuel Moody, all those guys can really step up and make some big plays for us, and they have. They're always going to compete about who's faster and who wins the races and everything, so that's always funny to hear. But all those guys really step up and contribute in their own way, and they're a big asset to this team.
Q. Can you just talk about Danny Wuerffel and just what he kind of means to you? Did he kind of set the tone for the type of quarterback you wanted to be when you got to Florida?
TIM TEBOW: Well, Danny Wuerffel was a great role model for me growing up and how he handled everything, the humility, and the way he handled success and failure and just his attitude on and off the field was something definitely to aspire to be like.
So for me that was a great role model definitely during the time when I needed good role models. So that was somebody I was really thankful for. I don't think we really played much at all, but hopefully the way we handle ourselves is similar because he definitely tried to handle himself with a lot of humility and grace with people.
Q. Whenever you've gotten the chance to talk with him, is it more talking about off the field stuff than on the field?
TIM TEBOW: I think both. I think more off the field, just his ministry and what I want to get involved with when I'm done playing and how he handled himself and then just hanging out and getting to know each other.
FLORIDA C MAURKICE POUNCEY
CHUCK DUNLAP: Could you start us off with just your general thoughts about the upcoming game with Alabama?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I mean, we're just excited that we're there. We're just happy that we made it and that we can go out there and represent the Southeastern Conference.
Q. I know that you guys are really just focused on the opponent and you don't really care about this stuff, but you guys are playing undefeated No. 1 Alabama and you guys are coming in with all the ESPN hype and you guys are favored by ten points. What's it like being in that situation?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I didn't even know until you just said that. I mean, I'm glad they've got us to win. We just want to go out there and play a great game, go out there and play hard and do what we do best.
Q. And for you, I mean, just talk about what it's like going out there and playing after what you and your brother have been through in the past week?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I mean, we just want to take it our way, we always do, try to look over what happened, the accident with my dad and everything. Just know that he's in our hearts and just go out there and play a great game.
Q. Can you talk about going up against a guy that's 375 pounds at least?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I mean, he's going to be a big guy to move in there. He's a great player. We've watched him on film. You've just got to go out there and play hard and physical.
Q. What does it say about this freshman class that you guys brought in this year that they've had such a big impact, and here you are at 11 and 1 playing for an SEC Championship?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: Those guys came in very mature. We've got a lot of guys contributing to the team and I'm happy that their careers are starting off well for them, and I just hope they keep it up.
Q. I want to go back to the end of the Ole Miss game and just kind of Tim Tebow, his comments after that game and his leadership since then. We in the media have made a big deal about it. I was just wondering from someone who's been there, how much did it really impact the way y'all have played this season?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I mean, what Tim said was very emotional to everybody. He's one of the big time leaders on the team, and everybody looks up to him and just respects what he does. We just wanted to look past that loss, and now we're just playing with great emotion and just love for the game now.
Q. You and Alabama both have just gotten off to great starts in each game this season, just put teams behind the 8 ball early. With that in mind, how important is it going to be for somebody to get off to a fast start, take an early lead Saturday?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: We just want to play all 60 minutes, go out there and play a hard, physical game.
Q. I know Joe Haden was talking about after the Ole Miss game, that's when y'all really started to play better in the first quarter. Have you noticed that, as well, that y'all started getting off to better starts after that one loss you had this year?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: Yeah, it shows a lot, but we just want to go out there and play, like I said, just go out there and do what we love to do.
Q. How would you describe Urban Meyer's coaching style if you had to?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: Coach Meyer loves the game. He's a family guy, loves all of us to death and loves what he does, and just a great guy to be around.
Q. He seems like a fairly high intensity kind of guy. Did that surprise you when you got there, or was that something you expected?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I mean, some of that I expected. He'll tell you in recruiting how it's going to be and the way he runs the show, and he's just a great guy.
Q. I just wonder, someone asked about Tim's reaction after the Ole Miss game. I wonder what you thought of that after it happened, whether it was just a one game thing, or you guys would actually be in this place? He basically said you weren't going to lose a game the rest of the year.
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I mean, everybody was emotional. Tim is our big time leader on the team, and what he said really touched everybody and made us want to go out there and play even harder and practice even harder and just go out there with a lot more emotion.
Q. In your heart of hearts, though, did you think you guys would be where you are right now after that?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I can't tell you, man. We just want to go out there and play 60 minutes.
Q. Have you played anybody like Cody this year, as wide as he is or as low to the ground as he is?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: Not that I can say, but we play great players every week, though.
Q. On film what do you see? When guys have success against him, what do they do?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: What did you say?
Q. When guys have success against Cody, what do they do?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I don't know, just go out there and play hard, get physical with him. He's a great player, great athlete, and we've just got to go out there and play physical.
Q. Can you just talk about the workouts in the off season this past year and what it was like being in that weight room with all those guys and how you guys got closer through that?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I mean, all the way coming off the season before this one, it was just, we all wanted to go out there and just grind out there and be the best at what we do and just go out there and just take everything one game by one. We just love being around each other and the chemistry around the team, just got a great bond together, guys hanging out, and it just turned out well for us.
Q. Is that when you guys started to hang out more and got closer?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: Yeah, I mean, especially a lot during the summer.
CHUCK DUNLAP: Thank you for joining us. Florida student athletes, thank you, and we'll see you at the Georgia Dome on Friday.
ALABAMA QB JOHN PARKER WILSON
CHUCK DUNLAP: Can you just give us your thoughts on playing Florida for the championship this Saturday night?
JOHN PARKER WILSON: You know, I think it's going to be a big game. I think we're all excited, ready to go. You know, we've had a good season thus far. Right now it's just about finishing what we've started.
Q. Can you just talk about what you've seen of Florida's defense? They're obviously noticeably improved over a year ago.
JOHN PARKER WILSON: Without question. I think they're super fast. They do a lot of stuff, confuse quarterbacks, try to throw different looks at them, and then obviously their athletic ability, they're a very good team, or the best team we're going to see coming so far this season.
Q. I know you've already played in the Dome this year, which is said to be a pretty fast track. Florida obviously has a lot of team speed. Do you see Florida's team speed being an advantage or the fact that y'all have already played there, y'all are already used to the speed that y'all are going to see and you face it in practice every day?
JOHN PARKER WILSON: Yeah, well, we see speed every day, and everybody in the SEC has got speed, so I don't think that's going to be a factor at all. We've played there already once this season, kind of know what to expect. But we've got fast guys, too.
Q. You guys have been No. 1 most of the season or at least the latter half of the season. It seems like when Florida got on a roll, everybody started penciling them into the National Championship game. You're ten point underdogs. Is there some disrespect going on there?
JOHN PARKER WILSON: I guess you say that, but it's nothing that we've really given much thought about or looked at too much. Whatever the prediction of the game is really has no bearing on the outcome of the game. You know, it's going to go in there we're going to play just like we've played in any other game. Being an underdog or whatever makes no difference to us.
Q. Why do you think you guys have been able to turn it around this year from 13 and 13 the last two years, and what are the reasons why it's happened for you?
JOHN PARKER WILSON: I think we came in here and just changed the attitude about things, the way we go about everything, whether it's working out or practicing. I think guys have bought into the system, kind of understand what's going on, and just going out there and doing the things we need to do, day in and day out. It's not waiting until Saturday; it's doing everything throughout the week that's going to make us a good team and make us a winning team.
Q. Both you and Florida played really, really well in the first quarter of games this season, really gotten teams behind the 8 ball early. I was wondering, considering you all are such fast starters, how important is the first quarter of this game going to be?
JOHN PARKER WILSON: I think the first quarter is important but not nearly as important as the third and the fourth quarter. What we talk about all the time as a team is the fourth quarter, the end, the second half. Getting off to a fast start helps out a lot, get points on the board early, and putting the other team in a situation where they're doing things they don't want to. But finishing the game and staying strong the rest of the game is I think the key.
Q. Why do you think you've been such a fast starting team this year?
JOHN PARKER WILSON: I don't know, kind of the mindset we have, I guess. We don't really talk about it or put a lot of emphasis on coming out and scoring points early; it's just kind of one of those things that have happened for us.
Q. Can you just talk about I guess the influence that your offensive coordinator Jim McElwain had this year? How did he help you out? You really seemed to be in a rhythm all year throwing the ball.
JOHN PARKER WILSON: Well, I think he came in and kind of made things simple, not made things tougher than they really are. I think we have really good communication throughout preparation during the week, on the same page game plan wise and going into Saturday. I think that's helped out in the past games more than anything is really the running game, the way we've been able to come out and run the ball, made people put more guys in the box than they want to is tougher on the passing game than anything.
Q. Can you ever see yourself apologizing for a loss? We've all been asking about Tim Tebow's comments after the Ole Miss game where he basically put the entire season on him; no team is going to play harder, no player is going to play harder than me the rest of the season. Could you ever see yourself doing that in public, I guess, after a game?
JOHN PARKER WILSON: I don't know, I think it would depend on the situation. I think we do the things we need to during the week to prepare and everything, where Saturday rolls around, the hay is in the barn. I think the preparation we have around here has led us this season not to have any regrets after the game.
Q. Kind of in the same vein, Tim Tebow gets all the hype and all the talk this week, but you're not exactly a slouch, either, quarterback. Could you talk about making an impression of your own in this game?
JOHN PARKER WILSON: You know, I think I'm going to go out and do the things that I've done so far this year that's got us here. We've kind of changed the way our offense has been the past couple years. We're not throwing the ball nearly as many times as we have. But I'm taking care of the ball, making good decisions and keeping our team in a good chance to win. I think I'm just going to go out there and try to do that, let our players make plays and not try to do too much. We've got some athletes that can make plays after they get their hands on the ball, so that's the way it is for me. I think everything will take care of itself after that.
Q. How much has Julio helped you this season?
JOHN PARKER WILSON: A lot. He's one of the best players I've ever played with. He works hard in practice, he's a good guy. He makes everybody else around him better, not only himself with his athletic ability, but he makes everybody else better around him.
Q. I was talking to Javier Arenas earlier, and he said that one of the things about Coach Saban that makes him so great is his attention to detail, and I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about that and how much that has helped this team make this turnaround that they've made.
JOHN PARKER WILSON: Yeah, you know, everything, every little thing is big. There's nothing that's overlooked or pushed to the side. I think every aspect of the program he pays close attention to and inputs a lot of time and effort into, whether it's guys going to class or doing what they need to do day in and day out. I think everything is held to a high standard, whether it's even if we're playing Western Kentucky or we're playing LSU, it's the same every week. We know we're going to get the same attitude, the same intensity every week, so it's so consistent, it's easy for us to come in here and go to work every day.
Q. I'm just wondering, do you have any kind of relationship with Tim Tebow, and have you thought about what life would have been like if he decided to go to Alabama three years ago?
JOHN PARKER WILSON: No, never really talked to him and never really thought about that, either.
Q. What are your impressions when you watch him play?
JOHN PARKER WILSON: I mean, he's a good quarterback. He's a good player. He makes plays, and he gets his team ready to play.
ALABAMA C ANTOINE CALDWELL
CHUCK DUNLAP: Would you mind just giving us your thoughts on playing Florida in the championship game?
ANTOINE CALDWELL: I think it's going to be a huge game. Everybody around here is excited. You know, we haven't played for this in a long time. We're just going to approach it like we do every other week. Florida is a great football team; everybody knows that. They've done a lot of good things to get to where they're at now, and it's going to be a good game.
Q. You played really well in the first quarter and Florida has been the same way. With that in mind, how important do you think it's going to be for somebody to get off to a fast start Saturday?
ANTOINE CALDWELL: It's going to be huge. It's going to be huge to start fast. That's the way we approach every game. The fast starts are always crucial and it will be no different in this game Saturday; we'll definitely have to start fast and start early.
Q. What do you think has made you such a fast starting team? Why have you played so well in the first quarter this year?
ANTOINE CALDWELL: I just think that we've been up for the games. We've been really prepared for them, specifically my offensive line coach does a great job with us preparing us during the week for what we're going to see. I think when we get out there on the field, it's kind of like practice. We've just been really prepared. That's what's enabled us to start fast.
Q. I'm just wondering how many times maybe you've had a chance to match up with Terrence Cody and how tough of a job that is.
ANTOINE CALDWELL: I match up with him every day in practice. We do one on one drills together, we do team drills together, because we do a lot of good on good. It's good work for both of us. Of course, he's not just a good defensive lineman, he's a great defensive lineman. We kind of help each other out, and he's definitely helped me out to get better and feel stronger in the games this year, and I'm sure I've done the same for him.
Q. How tough is it to even get him moving backwards or sideways just an inch?
ANTOINE CALDWELL: Man, it's tough. When a guy is that big and that athletic, of course it's going to be a tough job. I mean, that's what he's here for. He does a great job for us, and he's been doing a good job for us all year.
Q. You guys have been No. 1 for several weeks now. You're undefeated. But as you come into this game or over the past few weeks, Florida has been the team that's been getting a lot of hype, Florida and the Big 12 teams. You guys have almost been coming in under the radar. Florida is a ten point favorite in this game. How do you guys feel about kind of having this underdog role?
ANTOINE CALDWELL: It doesn't bother us. Like I said, we don't worry about the spread and all that kind of stuff. We're here to prepare the best we can this week and to go down there and play our best football. We'll be ready to play, and I'm sure Florida will be, too.
Q. Are you almost relishing this opportunity to kind of show the nation what you guys are all about? Is this like a big stage for you guys?
ANTOINE CALDWELL: It definitely is. We've kind of been on that stage all year, though. The start of the season was on a big stage in Atlanta, and it will be no different in this game. It's going to be a huge game and everybody is going to be watching, but we're going to be ready to play.
Q. I was wondering back when Coach Saban was first hired if you remember any moment or moments where you kind of realized that, wow, this guy is going to do things different here?
ANTOINE CALDWELL: Probably in his first meeting, his first introduction. I just noticed that a lot of guys he demanded respect and a lot of guys kind of sat up in their chairs when he walked in. That's what he brings with himself. He's a proven winner. His résumé, where he's been, speaks for itself. He demands a lot out of us, and I think that's a big part of why we're at where we are right now.
Q. Do you feel like he sort of gets colored the wrong way in the national media?
ANTOINE CALDWELL: I do sometimes, but like you said, he'll tell you sometimes he's responsible for that. That's just how he is. He's not willing to change, and he's been successful everywhere he's been. That's the media's job, to portray him any way they want to. Coach does what he does, and we're just following behind him.
Q. Both Coach Meyer and Coach Saban talked about how it was easier in their second years to kind of get everything rolling, that that first year we're trying to get guys into it; some of them aren't going to buy into it. Can you discuss a little bit of the transition from a player's perspective and how that played out with Coach Saban from his first year to his second?
ANTOINE CALDWELL: The first year was a lot of ups and downs, everything was so fast paced, and a lot of us had kind of the deer in the headlights look around here. We didn't know really what to do and what to expect. In the second year it started immediately in the off season. Everybody knew what he expected, what he demanded of us, and it's a lot easier when you know for sure what a coach wants and what he needs you to do.
That's what guys did in the second year; we made a smooth transition. A lot of guys got on board and everybody on this team has bought in since day one, and I think that's a big reason why we've been so successful this year.
Q. What impresses you most about Florida's defense?
ANTOINE CALDWELL: Their speed. They're incredibly fast. A lot of those guys have played a lot of games together so the chemistry sticks out. They do a good job of being disciplined, and they've played a lot. It's just going to be another big challenge for us to make sure we stay on the same page and we can get it done.
Q. Of course Florida has beat everybody this year by 23 or more points except for Ole Miss, the one close game they've lost. You have had a couple of close games where you may not have played your best but you found a way to win. Do you think that would benefit you guys if the score was 24 24 going into the fourth quarter?
ANTOINE CALDWELL: You never know. Each game has an identity of its own, but it does benefit us that we've had close games in the season with Ole Miss, Kentucky, and the LSU game, and finding a way to win definitely does something for your character on a football team, and it kind of helps you out going down the stretch. If it were to be like that again Saturday, we're just hopeful that we'll keep doing what we're doing and keeping the pedal down, and it'll work out.
Q. Tim Tebow gets a lot of the hype. Can you talk a little bit about your own quarterback and his skill level?
ANTOINE CALDWELL: I mean, John Parker is amazing. Like I said, I know Tebow gets a lot of hype, which is well deserved. He's a good football player. But we have a lot of confidence in the utmost confidence in the quarterback that we have. He does a great job for us this year, and he plays with an edge. That's what we love about him. He's done a great job this year of managing the football games, going out there and making the throws when we need him to and not making any costly mistakes, and that's John Parker's game. He's stepped up this year and been a great leader for us, a leader that we knew he could be, and that's why we've been so successful.
Q. Can you talk about how it's been different for him this year and last year? He hasn't thrown nearly as many passes this season as he did last.
ANTOINE CALDWELL: It probably starts with us up front. We've done a great job of running the football, and he hasn't really had to make any spectacular throws or had to come from behind as much. That makes it easier on the quarterback, and that's why he's gone out there this year and done a great job for us. I think it's because we've done a better job up front.
Q. Everybody makes so much about Florida's speed, but what about Alabama's team speed? Should people not sleep on that?
ANTOINE CALDWELL: Well, you know, you can't really tell people what to say or what to think, but we are confident in our speed on our football team. Florida gets talked about a lot, which they should; they do have incredible speed on their team and they're fast. But we're definitely confident in the speed that we've got on this football team and we've got players that can make plays just like Florida does. It's going to be a exciting. It's going to be a big challenge for us, but that's why you play games like this, for the challenge, and we'll be ready for it.
Q. Do you think you guys have enough speed to contain those edges when guys like that get in open space?
ANTOINE CALDWELL: We're going to do our best this week to prepare for that speed and try to contain it as much as we can. I'm sure Coach will have a great game plan for them, and we know when he dials it up, those guys will be ready to go, and this whole team will be ready to go.
CHUCK DUNLAP: Thank you for your time.
ALABAMA SAF RASHAD JOHNSON
CHUCK DUNLAP: Can you just talk about your general thoughts about facing the Gators in the title game?
RASHAD JOHNSON: I mean, I'm excited. It's been a while since Alabama has made it back to the SEC Championship, and to come in and be such a big stage with so much on the line, I mean, it makes the game more exciting for the players, more exciting for the fans. We know it's going to be a tough test. Those guys got a lot of great players on offense for our defense to contain them. And the same thing for or offense to move the ball; they have a great defense and a lot of leaders out there.
Q. Can you talk a little bit about Tim Tebow and the challenge he presents, and how does he put pressure on the defense?
RASHAD JOHNSON: I mean, just being the great leader that he is, he makes everybody around him a lot better. For us, the biggest challenge is when he drives back the pass, keep him in the pocket and make sure we cover him down the field, because some plays I've seen him make, a guy misses a tackle and he'll launch it 60 yards down the field because the defenders will stop playing because they think he's sacked. We've got to keep playing until the whistle blows because with this guy he's able to make any play that a quarterback needs to make to win games.
Q. Just wondering what you think even watching the Gators or keeping tabs on them, I'm sure, this eight game stretch they've been on, all the points they're putting up, they come into this game ten point favorites on you guys. What are your thoughts on all that stuff?
RASHAD JOHNSON: They've been doing a good job with scoring points. Like you said, ever since the Ole Miss game they've changed completely, like a totally different ball club. They've got a good scheme on offense. If you miss a gap or you lose a seam, with those guys they'll get a step on you and they're gone. I mean, they make a lot of big plays.
For us as a defense it's going to be important not to give up the big plays to them because you see on the schedule that they have a lot of four play, 70 yard drives and things like that, so if we can eliminate the big plays and try and make them drive the ball down the field, that's something that will benefit us.
Q. Are you guys using that as motivation, the fact that you're No. 1 but you guys are the underdogs in this game?
RASHAD JOHNSON: It's been like that kind of the entire season. It's always been that we haven't done enough. We're never pleased. Even if we have one guy saying that we shouldn't be No. 1, we're never pleased with what we've done so far, so we're going to continue to work. I guess it can give us motivation, but we're not going to approach this with any less focus or motivation already than what we've got.
Q. Can you talk about why you think your team was able to turn it around this year from 13 and 13 the last few years? What are the reasons why it happened?
RASHAD JOHNSON: I think the biggest reason, we've got a lot of guys that's very mature on this team and has bought into Coach Saban's system. We believe in this guy, and he's going to win wherever he went, so we have no reason not to.
I definitely think that leadership is a big factor. We're affecting the other players in a positive way on the field and off the field, and when we're out there playing, we've got in our mind it's all about what we do, no matter what the other team tries to do. As long as we go out and play our game, we actually believe that we can win any game.
Q. Coach Saban was saying last night that that first year is always tough because the seniors don't always buy in, and then the second year the guys who have been juniors are now seniors and they've either bought in or they're gone. Do you think that's the case, where the juniors who became seniors really bought into what was going on?
RASHAD JOHNSON: Definitely. Last year we had some things that we were disappointed about, and we really didn't do it the way Coach Saban wanted us to do it, and we saw the results. We ended up going 7 and 6 last year, and once the summer came around, the off season, you could just see a different look in the guys' eyes, of the seniors now, and the way that we're working just trying to get better every week, and everybody bought into the system.
As soon as spring ball came around, you could just tell the difference in the ball club. I think the off season program helped us a lot, too. We got a lot stronger and a lot faster, which definitely could contribute to the wins that we're having this year.
Q. I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about Coach Saban as a person and what it's like to play for him, and do you feel like he's a little bit misunderstood from people who don't really know him?
RASHAD JOHNSON: I definitely think he can be misunderstood from people who don't know him. The kind of impression we got at first was Coach Saban, our coach, we're kind of excited, then we're kind of like, we've heard so many stories about what he's done to players and things like that.
I respect him more than a lot of coaches that I've ever been around because he's consistent. Every day he comes in and he's the same person. He's always going to be about perfection when we're in the meeting rooms. He's always going to be about perfection on the field. You always know what you're getting every day; you don't have to worry about a different guy coming in and out. He's all about making guys better, and it's not all about on the field. He has a plan for everything he does, as far as in the classroom. He's trying to make sure guys are graduating, going to class, and I mean, I definitely think that means a lot to our players to see our head coach that cares so much about us.
Q. I wonder if you noticed after Florida lost to Mississippi the comments that Tim Tebow made that day.
RASHAD JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, they were all over the media and everything. I mean, everybody noticed them. I think, you know, he meant what he said. He's doing a great job of leading his team, and he's not going to let anything come in the way of them trying to achieve their goals. I mean, we have goals, as well, on this end. So that's why it's going to be such a great match up. We're going to have two teams that are committed to doing things the right way, and everybody is going to put everything they've got on the line to make sure they come out with a victory.
Q. Number one, are you surprised that they kind of did win the rest of their games after he said all that stuff? And number two, how many players can you think of that would stand up in public, at least, and say stuff like that, and apologize and say no team is going to play harder than us the rest of the season?
RASHAD JOHNSON: I mean, you probably won't find too many players. He plays the perfect position to be able to do that. You won't find a defensive lineman to say that or a corner to say that. So much of the game is in his hands, so he was able to make those statements and say nobody is going to put us down. He has the ability to change the ball game at any point because the ball is in his hands so much as an offensive player. You can just tell the team drives off of him and his passion for the game.
I mean, I wasn't surprised that they came out and won the rest of their games after that comment. They have a great team, and great teams sometimes slip away from what they've known of doing well and sometimes end up with a loss.
Q. This was asked a little bit earlier, but Coach again, talking about his second year, what was it like that first year and why do you think you guys had the kind of slump there at the end, even with Coach Saban and after the good start you got off to, and was there a turning point that kind of led everybody to believe in what he wanted to do?
RASHAD JOHNSON: Last year that big slump, after we lost the game to LSU, there was just a lot of guys buying in and guys not buying in. I mean, it was just conflict amongst the team. It wasn't like confrontations or things like that, but you could just tell that some guys were going to do it their way and other guys were going to do it Coach's way. That's not going to work if everybody isn't on the same page and sell out for one cause and be committed to that cause. That definitely caused some problems in the last games of our season.
I think the biggest turning point would probably have to be after the season was over with and we saw where that got us. We lost four games in a row, ended up 6 and 6 and going back to Shreveport to play in a Bowl game again that we had been to last year. We came and we wanted bigger goals that year and we didn't achieve them.
I think that was the biggest turning point when everybody saw what we're doing, it isn't working. We need to make a change, everybody needs to buy in, and I think we did a great job of doing that in preparation for the Colorado game. I think we came out and played a better game than we had played in a while after going on that four game losing streak.
Q. I wonder if you could talk a little bit about your journey as a player, your decision to walk on at Alabama, and if you could envision then becoming a playmaker for the team and one of the best players on a team that's ranked No. 1 in the country.
RASHAD JOHNSON: It was definitely a wild journey. I started out with a few offers at some Division II schools and things like that, and me and my dad and mom all sat down and talked about it, and I felt like I could play at the Division I level, even if it was just on special teams or just helping the team out in any way. We made the decision to come and walk on here at the University of Alabama. I was an Alabama fan when I was young, so I was just living a dream there in itself.
Once I got here, it was just going out every day and working hard, just trying to do everything the coaches told me that would help me to improve my game, and once I got the opportunity to play on special teams for a year, it made a difference in making plays. I got offered a scholarship and got moved to defense because they were opening spaces, like Roman Harper and Charlie Peprah were both graduating who were starters for three or four years, so it was an opportunity tore me to get up and get the play there.
Once I got the field and got to playing and Coach Saban got here, he improved my game so much, just little things, helping me out in the mental part of the game, and I was just able to learn from him so much and be able to take it on the field every week. And now here today, I mean, I couldn't envision being put in the position I'm in right now from where I started. It truly is a blessing. It had to be someone other than me who put me in this position.