Big Ten Media Days
Player and Coach Quotes
Troy Smith, Drew Stanton, Joe Thomas
http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2006/Preview/BigTenMediaDays.htm
By Pete Fiutak
Ohio State QB Troy Smith
If there's someone ready to be a superstar, it appears to be Smith. He was fantastic with the media as he ate up the attention and happily obliged even the silliest of questions. By far he had the biggest crowd around him, and it was only made worse because he had to take a "refreshment break" for 20 minutes which limited the time the media had with him. It's hard to sit down one-on-one with Smith and not instantly like him.
CFN: How did the adversity of last off-season make you better?
Troy Smith: Every season will bring adversity. Maybe you'll come into the season weighing more than you're used to; that could be an adversity. Maybe you're not as fast or a step behind; there's always something. If you wake up every morning with a positive outlook and a positive attitude, good things will come. You'll be able to get through anything if you do that.
CFN: How is life different coming into the season as the unquestioned leader with A.J. Hawk and other top players gone?
TS: I didn't take a leadership role behind anyone because there are leaders all over the field at all times. I don't look at things any differently now than I did before, because what I did before got me to where I am now. I try to look at everything in the same way. Every game, every practice, every film session I have to work like someone is looking over my shoulder, because someone is. I have to play with the same hunger from beginning to end, and that should carry over.
CFN: How are you better at preparing in the film room?
TS: It was always there, but I neglected it and didn't use it like I should've. Now I ask and I reason with the coaches to sit down with me, even when they don't want to. There's a thirst and a hunger for it now that I hope will carry over.
CFN: Is there a problem with having to do to much now? Everyone's talking about Heisman, everyone's talking about national title. How do you not press too much?
TS: No, that's what I try not to do. Through the course of the game you have to let the game come to you. Yes, as the quarterback you have to make some things happen, but you can't control everything. If your number one isn't there on this play, and your number one isn't on the next play, on the third play, you can't just throw it to your number two guy just because your first guy wasn't there before. You have to be consistent through the course of the game and through the season.
Ceah, I like that. I hope that fans and sports analysts everywhere expect quarterbacks in a top position to do what Vince did. He set the bar, and it's pretty high. Buy we have to achieve that.
On needing to do more film work to become more complete.
TS: The film room for any athlete will slow the game down. There's a lot of things you take for granted with film. At first you're just watching what's happening and watching the game. After time, you start to see why things are happening and why things happened like they did. That takes time.
On the loss to Penn State.
TS: There was nothing special that they did that threw me off-guard. They just played a great game and they won. That's it. There was nothing fancy about it. They didn't do anything to surprise me. The way we felt after we left ... no one liked it. You can't take anything away from Penn State because they got the job done, but we, as a unit, realized we didn't want to feel that way again.
On having to keep everyone happy and involved in the offense
TS: All that matters is winning games. If you win, then it doesn't matter who's getting the ball when. I have to do what I have to do to get the ball to the right people, and as long as we win, then that's fine. If we're not winning, then that's when I have to figure out who needs the ball more to help us win. If you win, everyone should be happy. Everyone has to understand that and everyone out there has to have the right attitude. We have that.
Would he rather be the dark horse Heisman candidate or the favorite?
TS: I'd rather be the guy from the beginning. That lets everyone know nationally right away about your skills. Coming on late and coming on strong would be cool, but that probably means you weren't doing enough in the beginning. If you start out high, that doesn't mean you're going to be great at the end.
On going from being an unknown a few years ago to a Heisman favorite.
TS: It's a process. As an athlete, you take that in stride and have to keep moving. A lot of time when you're up, they try to bring you back down and want to step on you. You have to keep it all in perspective.
Is it hard dealing with the pressure at Ohio State?
TS: No. That's what you want as an athlete. When you're around fans who are passionate and care just as much as you do, you're into it that much more. You all end up in it together. I wouldn't have it any other way. That's college football. Whether you like it or not, you play it because you love to play the game. When you go to an opposing stadium and see the passion when fans wear their colors with pride, that's what it's all about. That's the pressure, and that's the fun.
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