University Southern California Trojans
Hackett Quotes From Trojan Football Media Day
August 06, 2000 | Football
Coach Hackett - Interview (Audio)
Aug. 6, 2000
LOS ANGELES - USC Coach Paul Hackett
Trojan Football Media Day
Aug. 6, 2000
I said to the team last night in our first meeting, and I really believe this, in all of the years that I've been coaching, I don't know if I've ever been more excited about a particular group of men. I'm speaking of the coaching staff, the enthusiasm of the new coaches, along with the players. The young freshman class we've had for two days are what we have thought. The blend of some skill people with some linemen that we know can contribute certainly in time and of course the development of last year's class, of what they've done in the off-season. The way they've gotten stronger, the way they've come together as a group and at the same time helping the track team which is what we hoped they would do.
The overriding thing that makes me feel the way I do is the senior class. It has a blend of a number of fifth-year seniors. The first game they played in college was at the Meadowlands against Penn State and I think they have a real sense that this is their time and their chance to go back. We've got a bunch of fourth-year seniors in that class who are very talented. Zeke Moreno would be the obvious one. Antoine Harris has played a lot of football at USC. This team returns a lot of men who have started games and I just have that feeling that there's a blend of experience along with youth. There's enthusiasm from the youthful group and a feeling of commitment more so than I felt in a long time from the older guys. The mood and my feeling as we start in Irvine is a very upbeat and positive one.
We also have to address the obvious issue in that we are going to start in a very demanding fashion. I think that going on the road, which has been difficult for us, and playing a top-notch opponent, which we're going to play, is going to be a real test. Coming home, playing a team (Colorado) that scored 62 points in their bowl game, is really going to be a test. The way I look at it, the first month of the season, in which we have those two games, we're going to find out a lot about ourselves. We're going to find out about what kind of team we are and if I'm accurate that this team has a chance to be very special. I don't know the exact personality of the team. I'm not sure what it's going to be. I'm not sure where the leadership is going to come from. The obvious ones are Zeke Moreno and Carson Palmer. Whether or not that's going to be the heart of the team, I don't know.
We have a marvelous battle that's going to go on at tailback. I think that can bring a great deal into our entire team. We cannot make a decision on those guys. Petros Papadakis has done a marvelous job to bring himslef back. Malaefou MacKenzie has been remarkable. It's a two-year injury (regarding his ACL injury in 1998) and this is year two after the Purdue disaster. And Sultan McCullough now has confidence. The thing you hope a guy in his third year is going to feel is that he can accomplish some things and we all know that marvelous ability of his has the potential to accomplish those things. He's won the 100 meters in the conference. He's played in spring practice and he's been in some games. He played against UCLA. Well now, he's ready to be in a position to challenge to be that tailback. I would hope someone emerges. We're certainly going to use everybody as we begin, but it's something that will be exciting for our fans and for our team.
The other part of it is what is the leadership of the defense going to be? When you're looking at four fifth-year seniors in the defensive line, you've got some people who've put a lot into their careers at USC. They have the opportunity to do something special now. They have the opportunity to really get us going. We're coming off of a difficult year, but an excellent end. John Fox brought us back and gave us the momentum to carry us into this season. Where will this team and who on this team will pick that up and find the way to do the unusual and be a difference maker? Those are the kind of things that will make it exciting in the first month of the season. It all begins in Irvine. We will have a difficult camp. We have to get ready physically. They (the Nittany Lions) are overwhelming physically. They play a different type of football. We have to be up to that task. We also have to be in shape. There's nothing we can do about the humidity. I told the team last night we're going to have to play a lot of guys in the opening game. Don't think your going to camp as a second-teamer and not going to see a lot of action. I think how our two-deep unfolds as we get to the end of Irvine is going to be really critical for us. We went through that experience two years ago in the Purdue game. It's hard to do. It's a hostile crowd. The place is sold out. It's going to be exciting.
It's too early to tell much right now. We need some time together, some time to bring all the factions together. I think we're a stronger football team and a better conditioned team than we were this time a year ago. I think that's the one thing that comes out of all the tests on the first day. Where we're going to find the consistency that evaded us last year, particularly on offense? Where are we going to find the killer instinct that evaded us? I don't know about all of that. That's what building the team is about. It's going to be a very exciting period of time.
(Notes coming out of the freshman practices): Matt Grootegoed jumps out right away. Joe McGuire jumps out right away. Doesn't take long to see that. I think Keary Colbert did some really nice things,. I thought Matt Cassel had a solid two days. The tight end group is going to be great fun to watch. All three of them played well. Alex Holmes, Gregg Guenther and Doyal Butler. That's going to be a real battle. Maybe the surprise will be Jamaal Williams from San Diego. But it's really a great group. What I'm so excited about is we have 10 walk-ons. That just doesn't happen to us. We're close to 30 in the new class and that's just dynamite.
(Evolution of offensive line): I think that we've talked about it each year. When the season was over last year and we sat down and addressed the team about it and particularly the offense. As you all know, I made a coaching change. And I really laid it out there to the older guys. I said at some point, there's going to have to be a shift in the kind of play in the offensive line if we're ever going to get back to the history and tradition of USC. I think Brent McCaffrey is clearly the leader of that group. But the commitment they have shown over the winter, spring and summer was dramatic. When you've got every member of the offensive line with the exception of one who never misses 45 summer workouts, which are voluntary, that sends a message to the entire team. This group has its jaw set. How quickly can they come along? Who are the young guys that will help? Where is Faaesea Mailo going to play? There are a lot of questions that have to get answered in Irvine. But the mindset is totally different in the offensive line than in the first two years. And a lot of that is a tribute to Brent and Trevor Roberts and Eric Denmon. They took it upon themselves to say, 'Let's go'.
(Injury situation): Antuan Simmons remains in Sacramento. He will redshirt this year. He will join us at some point in Irvine. Other than that, Chad Cook (knee) and John Morgan (knee) will not be with us. We're looking at three people in the redshirt category. Other than that, we have a couple of lingering surgeries. I'll probably practice them one time a day. Besides that, I don't think there's anyone else we expect to miss time, which is remarkable, both from eligibility and health issues.
(Carson Palmer's understanding of the offense): He's made some real strides. Any time you take a year off, it will set you back. He was able to work himself through his frustration. Every time I talk about Carson, if I don't talk about Mike Van Raaphorst, it doesn't make sense, because Mike has really been a role model for him. But what Carson was able to do was watch and understand how much it was for him to learn. I thought his spring was good. He's worked hard this summer. I think he knows what our offense is about. It usually happens in year three. The downside is not much experience. But certainly the foundation is there and the skill is there. I think he has a chance to have a breakout year.
(Sultan McCullough's growing toughness): I think the nature of the man himself and what he showed in spring practice is enough for me. I think this football team has to accept him in that area. He has to prove himself to this team that he can carry the load. He'll get fierce competition from two other guys who are hard-nosed, old-school runners. It's going to be very exciting. Sultan has that extraordinary burst and if he gets a wrinkle, he can go all the way. He had two or three runs in the spring that gave me the feeling he's on his way. He began to lower the pads and play at that pad level and be able to bounce off people. Of course, he's going to carry it over and over. That's the one thing that's going to be difficult about giving everyone a fair shake. It's going to be hard to get everyone too many carries as we start the season. I'm hoping one of these guys explodes on us.
(Other goals for the spring): On offense, there are two keys. We have to get the offensive line working together. We have to keep Brent healthy. Who's going to be on the right side? Where is Jacob Rogers development going to be? How is Zach Wilson going to come on? Faaesea is a key part of the line and I expect him to be in there and be a starter. The coming together of the line is important. The second one is the timing and rhythm of Carson Palmer. He basically has never thrown the ball to Kareem Kelly and Marcell Allmond. He doesn't have any idea of what they can do. He had a little time before they were injured. The spring time was disjointed. We're really nowhere. We have to establish and understand the rapport that must exist between receivers and quarterbacks and you can only do it in the spring time setting.
On the defensive side, I'm concerned about the secondary. We're woefully thin on experience with the loss of Antuan Simmons. Kris Richard becomes our anchor corner and will have to set the tempo. We've got a lot of exciting candidates for the other spots, but we don't have other veteran corners. At the safety position, Troy Polamalu has to get off to a fast start. Ife Ohalete could play either safety spot. Frank Strong needs a fast start. What I'm really excited about is the front seven.
That brings me to what I've been avoiding, which is our biggest issue that exists, the special teams. How are we going to get the esprit de corps in the special teams that we had two years ago. Last year, it fell apart on us. We've got to get that back. We have a new coordinator. We brought in John Wall to compete in the placekicking. We brought in Drew Thomas to compete in the punting. We tried to get as many things in the mix as possible, but now it all has to sift through. How that unfolds will be a daily basis in training camp. I'd like to make a decision on placekicking earlier than we did last year.
(On Sultan Abdul-Malik switching back to defensive end from linebacker): Two years ago, we moved David Gibson from safety to linebacker and it was a brilliant move. He had a great year. Last year, we tried to pull off the same thing. We moved Abdul-Malik from defensive end to linebacker. The mistake was we asked him to continue as a pass rusher and play some end while being our starting SAM linebacker. What we did was ask a young guy who had not played the position since high school to become accomplished at linebacker and also be a premier rusher. So when the season was over, we said, 'We learned.' Let's move him back to his natural position, because we think he can be one of the top pass rushers in the country. He knows he can do that as well. The spring and summer he had were spectacular.
(On preseason ranking of No. 15): I have a little bit of a problem with preseason rankings because I'm not sure how accurate they are at the end of the year. But I think it's an honor and says a lot about what we've done with our program. What I'm the proudest of is that people know and feel like our program has put some foundation work in place for two years and we have a chance to legitimately compete for the conference championship. And when you come with a five-year contract and a five-year plan, it's nice to see after two or three years, they're headed in the right direction. Now we have to go live up to that. But if we think that (ranking) is going to help us in the Meadowlands, we're out of our minds.
(On Carson Palmer in spring drills): Carson goes. He goes like everyone else. We don't tackle our quarterbacks in scrimmage. Any of them. I don't believe in that. He'll get plenty of those opportunities on the 27th. We're going to split the time up initially in camp and Mike Van Raaphorst and Matt Cassel will get plenty of time early. But we will begin to graduate it to the point that Carson will get most of the work as we get closer and closer to the game. He's physically very ready and very prepared.
