University of Tennessee Athletics
Looking Back: Quotes on the 2007 Season
January 18, 2008 | Football
Friday, selected members of the 2007 Tennessee football freshman class visited with media representatives for the first time since August. Below are a few quotes from the session, although be sure to check out the usual outlets for what surely will be a number of nice feature stories.
In addition to the freshmen, Demetrice Morley stopped by and gave a quick recount of his efforts the past year to make it back onto the UT campus. Congratulations Demetrice and best of luck in spring practice, which, by the way, begins March 11.
DB Eric Berry
(On if he exceeded his expectations for his rookie season) ???I wasn???t expecting to have the type of year I did. I came in with the expectations of just playing in the nickel packages. When I got here things went my way and I just have to thank the coaches for believing in me and giving me the opportunity.???
(On if he???d rather play offense or defense) ???I took it upon myself to play defense. Offensive players come a dime-a-dozen and defense is a pretty good thing to do and I???m happy doing it.???
(On his welcome to college football moment) ???It probably happened during two-a-days. I got pancaked by big Ramon Foster. I was standing around the pile and he came up and cleaned my clock. He ran threw me like I was a rag doll.
(On switching from cornerback to safety) ???It was pretty tough. My home is really safety but I had to learn corner a little more. I told Coach (Larry) Slade that I felt more comfortable at safety because I had been doing it my whole life. He went with it and gave me the opportunity and I took advantage of it.
TB Lennon Creer
(On lessons learned during his freshman season) ???This year I learned a lot. The coaches taught me a lot. It was fun being a freshman at Tennessee this year because other freshmen were playing just like me. I tried to do the best I could when I got in the game.
???Next year we have a lot of running backs coming back and competition will make us better. This year was about what I expected. It was a good opportunity with so many freshmen playing.???
DE Ben Martin
(On transition to college football) ???The speed of the game in college is a lot faster than in high school and we just had to get used to that during game. At first it was really tough because none of us knew what to expect. The mental aspect was the most difficult challenge to me.???
(On injury that he suffered a week prior to the season) ???It was very frustrating to me. Everything was going well at the time and it was unfortunate something like that had to happen. It felt great when I was able to come back though and get to full speed. I can???t wait to get started with next year and keep things rolling.???
(On if the freshmen class set any goals) ???We didn???t really get together as a whole but it was commonly understood that between us, we all wanted to do something big with our class.???
WR Denarius Moore
(On beginning the season on return game) ???It was real tough, I had to get the ball and find the right hole to hit. Everything speeds up in college.???
(On high school teammate Lennon Creer also being in Knoxville) ???It was a real benefit having Lennon here. Having somebody from your high school here with you is a huge advantage, although it was nice to meet new people too.???
(On wide receiver coach Trooper Taylor leaving) ???It was real tough; he was like a father to me when I came here. It was real hard coming in learning all the plays and all the coverages and he taught me everything I know. He told me we???d keep in touch and always be friends.???
(On quarterbacks) ???All the quarterbacks we have are set and ready to go. We just need to get the timing down between them and the receivers.???
DB/RS Dennis Rogan
(On taking over kick and punt return duties during the season) ???I wouldn???t necessarily say I was the go-to guy, I just got the ball and the guys in front of me blocked and I ran behind them. Having patience and waiting on teammates to set up and follow the blocks was a key to the big returns.???
(On being a local player) ???When I first got here a lot of people said Tennessee wasn???t a (high school) football state, so I felt I had to prove that wrong.
(On the move to cornerback) ???I feel more comfortable at cornerback now that I???ve had more practice because I didn???t play it much in high school.???
DB Brent Vinson
(On switching from offense to defense) ???I think playing receiver my whole life and then switching to defense was probably the toughest transition. It was just hard. Trying to switch my mindset from offense to defense was the most difficult.
???On offense you want to avoid tacklers and on defense you want to be aggressive. It wasn???t the schemes or the plays but the technique on how to play certain things that gave me trouble.???
DB Demetrice Morley
(On staying in football shape while away from the team last season) ???It???s tough but I had to do it. I???m proud of myself, my family is proud of me and Coach Fulmer is proud of me. That???s what is important.
(On any additional motivation after sitting out last season) ???It motivates me a lot. Missing last season was tough. I bleed orange. I???m a Vol and I want to finish a Vol. There were no other choices; I wanted to be here. I???m excited and ready to get things going.???
