Junior Wide Receiver Menelik Holt

Nebraska Football Weekly Press Conference
Nebraska Player Quotes
Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2008
Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Neb.

On popping back up immediately after getting hit hard on a catch over the middle
"I got up because I wanted another catch. I didn’t want coach to think I was injured. To make a catch like that, the defense hits you and you pop up, that just infuriates them more. Being a good receiver, I have to make those catches, get right back up and make the next catch. I really didn’t get a chance to think about it. I didn’t know what happened until I looked at the big screen. After that, it got me in a groove and woke me up a little more for the game."

On the toughness of Nebraska’s wide receivers
"This is one of my most physical camps this year, and Coach (Ted) Gilmore is big on having tough guys, especially in the run game and blocking. Mo (Maurice Purify) would have made a catch like that and gotten back up, and people say I’m supposed to be just like Mo, so I emulate some of the things he did. Catching the ball and getting up is something that I had to do, so that just happened."

On having five catches against Western Michigan
"It felt good because, for the first time, it felt like I was able to help the team more. Being on the sidelines, you feel like your role doesn’t matter on gameday, and you can’t help or hurt the team. You feel isolated. Being on the field as much as I was (Saturday) and being able to catch balls and get first downs and keep the clock moving, I felt like I put in my two cents as far as helping the team win the game, so at the end of the day, I feel like I have a bigger part in the win."

On the blocking of Nebraska’s wide receivers
"Blocking on the perimeter can change a five-yard gain into a 20-yard gain, a 30-yard gain. I had a backside block for Marlon (Lucky) on that toss play he scored on. I had a good block for Joey (Ganz) on the run where he went for 30 or 40 yards. Stuff like that can ignite the run game, and if we can run the ball like that, defenses are going to load the box, which opens the passing game for us. It’s all about helping the team out. That definitely helped us against Western Michigan."

On his blocking
"The past couple years, I’ve been blocking like a smaller guy, like Frantz (Hardy). Being 6-4 and more than 200 pounds, I have to block like a bigger guy and that’s been emphasized by Coach (Gilmore) to me. That’s probably why I sat on the bench a lot more last year, because I couldn’t block. That’s going to be unacceptable. If the running backs are going to block for us in the passing game, we have to be ready to block for him when he’s running the ball. There’s nothing more rewarding than blocking for Marlon (Lucky) and him scoring a touchdown, because if he gets on one or two guys, they’re probably not going to tackle him. When he gets in the end zone, to know you were a part of that is pretty rewarding."

On his relationship with former NU wide receiver Maurice Purify
"I just talked to him yesterday. He and I talk once or twice a week. He’s been telling me, ?Now’s my time. Don’t listen to what you guys (the media) say about being him. Just be me’. Mo and I have a significant relationship. We have probably clicked more than any other receivers, being from California and being the same size. He’s doing pretty good things with the Bengals. He tells me to keep my head up. The thing he emphasizes the most is to stay out of trouble, because that hurt him a lot and he’s trying to make sure that I don’t do the same kind of thing."

On his reputation as a joker on the team
"I try and keep practice and meetings fun. Sometimes, watching the same film every day and doing the same things over and over again become mundane. Guys fall asleep. Sometimes, it’s hard to get through those days. I’m sure you guys have tough times at your job to where you just don’t want to do it. Laughing every now and then makes it easier. I’m just kind of a goofy person. I get that from my mom. Whatever is in the moment, I say it or do it, whatever it takes to keep the guys up and awake."

On San Jose State
"A couple of guys from my high school took trips up there. They just got past UC Davis. Defensively, they like to press a lot. They’re going to play a lot of man, and we’re going to try to take advantage of that. It’s always good when a corner tries to press me, especially when he’s a couple inches shorter. We’ll see what happens."

On his role on this team
"I didn’t anticipate catching that many balls. I still see myself far behind Nate (Swift) and Todd (Peterson). Those two guys, I look up to, even though we’re on the field at the same time. A couple of the passes I caught, the defense gave us the right look, and I was just at the right spot at the right time. I’m still going to work toward making plays after the catch and break a couple more tackles. Making those catches and knowing I can keep the drive alive for the team and play an integral part in a win, that felt good for me. We hadn’t won a game in how many months, so you can imagine how good that felt."