Sept. 26, 2001

Q: What were your expectations for the defense coming into this season?

A: We definitely have more speed on the field at one time, so I don't expect anyone to be able to outrun us. Teams may be able to wear us down a little with size, but I think because we get to the ball quickly we can wear some teams and players down. I thought we would be a little better this year because of that ability to get to the ball and gang tackle more than before.

Q: Did it surprise you that you had to make 15 tackles last game against Chattanooga?

A: Not really because that's the way the defense is designed this year, for linebackers and myself to make a lot of tackles.

Q: Who will be the surprise player on defense this season?

A: Charles Williams. Last year he redshirted and I saw how much he improved throughout the season. I figured he would come out and be a big-time player and surprise a lot of people.

Q: How does this team compare to the other four teams that you've been a part of?

A: I think talent and ability level is about the same. We're definitely smaller in some areas than we have been in the past, for instance in the defensive line where we've had Collin Horace, Lamar Whitaker and James Taylor. It will be tough to find a running back as good as Jerome Russell, but we've got some good ones. And we also have some good young receivers. Depending on the position we are about the same or a little better. The biggest difference is that our team unity is much better than it ever has been. That has really been a point of emphasis this year, and coaches and players have really made a point to get to know each other. You can't just come out and be "teammates" and click it on and off. It's important to get to a level where you know what each other is thinking and you can't do that without getting to know each other.

Q: Is being a leader something that comes naturally to you or is it something that you've had to work on?

A: I really just worked into it. I didn't come here expecting to be a leader. I think being one of only eight seniors forces you to be one. I've never been much of a vocal leader on the field, I'm louder off the field with my friends. On the field I'm fairly quiet, but this year I've tried to accept that role of being a leader and remembered to be more encouraging and vocal in that respect. Most of that part of leadership comes in practice, when you have the time to see what others are doing and can comment on that. A lot of the encouragement and excitement for my teammates has just become habit during the game.

Q: Schools like Kentucky, Louisville, Vanderbilt and Duke along with Samford recruited you. What made you choose Samford?

A: Samford was the only school that recruited me as a safety, most of the others wanted me to play receiver. The way it turned out was that no one offered me a scholarship, so I knew that wherever I went I would have to walk on. I picked Samford because the academics really appealed to me and I thought I had a better chance of playing more here than at one of the others. It worked out well for me, because I redshirted my first year and then earned my scholarship after my redshirt freshman season.

Q: What made you choose interior design as a major?

A: At that time in your sophomore year when they tell you that you have to declare something as a major, my thoughts were, "what am I going to take?" I thought about civil engineering because Samford had a 3/2 program with Auburn, and civil engineering interested me. I enjoy building things. I enjoy being able to complete something and then stand back and look at it and realize that you did that or had a part in it. I also considered architecture and Samford didn't have it as a major, but it did have interior design. Here the program is like interior architecture, which involves space-planning, design, etc., which deals more with the inside of the building rather than the outside.

Q: If a friend or teammate were asked to describe you, what would they say?

A: I would like to be described as someone who works hard and who tries to overcome obstacles and who has the desire to succeed. I would also like to be thought of as a leader.

Q: What obstacles have you had to overcome during your career at Samford?

A: The biggest thing to me was having to prove myself worthy of having a scholarship. Everything other success -- like earning a starting position, being considered an all-star candidate -- has fallen into place because I worked so hard to accomplish that.