Defensive Tackle Jared Crick

Nebraska Football
Weekly Press Conference
Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2010
Pre-Western Kentucky

Jared Crick
Junior, Defensive Tackle
On what he has seen from Mike Caputo in practice and what he can do to improve
"The biggest thing I've seen from Caputo is that he's taken that leadership role. And it's kind of expected from your starting center. (Jacob) Hickman did a great job last year of directing the offensive line and telling them what to do essentially, like where to go and what the blocking schemes are going to be. Caputo is a great player, nevertheless. The biggest stride I've seen is definitely calling out the play and just leading the offensive line."

On how excited he is to start the season
"I'm really excited. I can't wait, but we still have a couple days (before then). But it's definitely going to be a great feeling going out and hitting some other team."

On the biggest difference in the defense with the loss of five starters
"I don't think you are going to see too much of a difference. We are going to play with great effort and great tenacity and that's really the biggest thing that we can do. Schemes are going to be a little different just because of playing a different opponent, as we are every week, but you are definitely going to see the same group going out there and flying around that you did last year and the year before."

On Carl Pelini's comments about more depth on the defensive line than last year
"I agree. We are three-deep in every position. We have guys that can come in and contribute effectively. I've seen some great things out of guys like Thaddeus Randle, Baker Steinkuhler, Chase Rome and the young guys are really starting to learn what we want to do defensively. I love our depth and although it will be hard coming off the field, it's going to be a good feeling knowing that the guy replacing you for that span of time can get the job done."

On what sticks out about Chase Rome
"He's a great athlete and he is young so he'll mature physically, but the biggest thing I've seen with him is that he wants to learn. He's constantly asking me questions which shows me that he's interested and he really wants to get better. I give to him whatever I can that will help him out but the biggest thing is that he is wanting to learn and wanting to get better, and just seeing that out of someone so young is exciting for him and exciting for me, knowing he could potentially play as a freshman."

On how the strict attention that Ndamukong Suh got from offensive lines last year might carry over this year onto him
"In the beginning of the season last year, Suh saw a lot of double teams, and I'm not really expecting that this year, but I am anticipating it in case that's what offenses want to do to me. But last year that gave me the chance to go one-on-one with the blocker and every time I won. I either made a play or helped the defense out in some way, so I'm expecting the guy next to me to do the same to relieve pressure on me, maybe force double teams like I did going my way last year to go their way, but it just comes down to whatever offenses want to do. I'm not expecting to get double-teamed but I will be anticipating it."

On people's thoughts about him potentially being as dominant as Suh was last year
"I think we can do better (as a team). Part of (the stats from last year) was because Suh was next to me, but most of it was because of the defensive line as a whole. I also had Barry Turner next to me and Pierre Allen on the other end. It was just us working together as a unit. No one is really big on stats. Suh wasn't big on stats, I'm not big on stats; but the biggest thing was as long as we were doing our job on the defensive front, then that's really all that mattered."

On the preseason hype about him
"I could care less. Preseason is just hype. You have to go out and prove yourself every day, every game, and if you don't do that then it's all for nothing. I really don't look at that, I just go out and prove it every day and if, at the end of the season, I have the same credibility and same hype that I did at the beginning then I did my job but until I go out there and do my job, it's all for nothing."

On how he has improved as a leader from last year
"Just being an older guy. The younger guys have been asking me questions. I like to lead by example, first and foremost, because I've never really been a big talker so I'm not going to go out of my comfort zone and talk just to talk. But I have been answering a lot of questions that guys come up to me with, just because I'm more experienced and I'm one of the older guys on the defensive line, so as far as getting guys going I don't have to do any of that but the majority of things that I do more than I did last year is make sure guys are on the same page and help younger guys out."

On improvement in his game from last year
"Definitely in my strength. Last year I used my speed to my advantage more so than I did anything else. But this year I feel a lot stronger. I'm still going to use my speed, I'm still going to rely on that, but definitely just being stronger I feel that's only going to intensify my game that much more and helping out in other ways."

On whether he expects teams to give up on the run as they did last year
"If we set the tone early, then perhaps. That's what we did last year. We had to stop the run first before they had to make their adjustments. If we do our job up front and clog up the inside and make sure no one runs up the middle, maybe, but if not we are still going in there and not letting anyone run up the middle on us. That's what we pride ourselves on."

On how special it is being from Nebraska and playing for Nebraska
"Being from Nebraska, it's special definitely, but I think I'm more concerned about the team than myself. If I can shine a good light on the team, then that's what is most important to me. Being from Nebraska and having all this, it's great. But definitely I'm more concerned about the team getting hyped more than myself."

On if the other team's stakes and implications effect their preparation
"We are always more worried about us and our preparation. It doesn't matter who the opponent is. They have some great players, Western Kentucky does, and we're going to be prepared for them. They have a very agile quarterback and he can hurt you if he gets out. So we are going to take the preparation as if they re just as good as anybody on our schedule. It doesn't really matter who the opponent is, we are worried about ourselves no matter what."

On his questions about the defense before this weekend
"That's up to the coaches. I could care less what we do, I just have to go out and do my job. It's not up to me to be scheming or making plans, so as long as I go out and execute my job, that's all I can really do. But it will be interesting to see what else we put in this week, as far as our preparation and what we want to do defensively."

On the defensive rotations
"It's just something that Coach Carl (Pelini) is going to want to try out and see what rotations work best with each other. Guys have their certain games that we all bring something different to the table and to see how guys fit in certain positions and certain situations, it's definitely going to be fun not just for Coach Carl but for all of us just to see how we can work together."

On how motivated the team to start the season
"We've been motivated ever since the Big 12 Championship Game, just keeping it rolling and we're hungry to get back on the field and play another game. We're sick of hitting each other; we're ready to get out there and get after somebody else and it's time for that and we are all ready for it."

On how anxious he is to get past the first few games and into the Big 12 season
"It can be hard sometimes but you just have to look at it as one day at a time. It's easier to do that now than in the past, just knowing the steps we have to take to get better every single day. When I was younger it was easier to look forward to Virginia Tech or someone like that but now that I'm older and more experienced I know what has to be done on a daily basis in order to reach the goals. Washington will come when they come and the Big 12 will come when they come but right now it's just going to be exciting to get on the field and play anybody."

On preseason ranking
"I could care less, honestly. It's not a big deal to us. It's great knowing that if we win all of our games, then it's going to vault us into the position where we want to be, going into the Big 12 Championship and the bowl game. Just knowing that we are rated that high is heightened expectations but we could care less. We know we have to go out and do our business on the field every single day."