Ben Cotton

Nebraska Football
Weekly Press Conference
Pre-Southern Miss
Monday, Aug. 27, 2012

Ben Cotton, Sr., Tight End
On if it feels like the season is finally here or if he's still in offseason mentality
"We can definitely tell. It's time to hit somebody else instead of hitting each other all the time. Cracking heads with your teammates is only fun for so long so we're ready to play against someone else. We still have a lot to fine tune and do this week. We have four full practices left and a lot of preparation, but we're excited and ready to get this thing kicked off."

On what he knows for sure about the Huskers in this opener
"One thing I know is that we're excited. We've done a lot of different things in the offseason and it's increasing and we're getting more and more excited as the day approaches. We've been waiting to show what we can do and how we've changed. We want to show how much we've improved and how much we're playing for each other, and I think we're ready to finally get to show it on Saturday."

On playing a team like Southern Miss instead of an FCS school in the opener
"It's definitely a big game and we know that they are a very good football team with a lot of good players. They are very athletic and their coaches do a good job preparing them each week and they beat a lot of good teams last year. We know there are a lot of unknowns, a couple coaching changes here and there, so we're preparing for anything we can possibly get. That's the most difficult part is having so much uncertainty, but we're making sure that we're going to be ready for whatever they could possibly present us."

On the assistance that having depth on offense gives to the quarterback
"It's kind of give and take. We expect Taylor (Martinez) to put the ball in our area and we expect our guys to make plays when the ball is a little bit off. It goes both ways. Taylor is going to do a great job and sometimes there might be a slip here and there on either end, but we have to do our job to make the plays just like Taylor has to do his job to make the plays. As long as we're helping each other out, good things happen for the Huskers."

On knowing he might not get a lot of balls since there's so many options in the offense
"That's one of the best things about this offense is how selfless everybody is. We've got one thing in mind and that is a championship for this team. Nobody is worried about being the best receiver, the best tight end, or the best offensive linemen in the country. All that will take care of itself as far as the personal stuff, but we're worried about one thing and that is winning the championship. That's what is in our crosshairs."

On the bowl loss to South Carolina last season
"I think more of a bigger picture. I know a lot of guys remember last year not going anything close to what we had hoped for, and that's why we've done so many different things this offseason and changed so many things. We've spent more time together in the film room and doing different things in the workouts. Coach has done a great job of changing things up for us. Especially in this group of seniors, we want this season to be something special to put Nebraska back where it's supposed to be, where it has been in the past. That's one of our biggest goals as being Coach Bo's first class is that we want to put this place back where it belongs."

On the bond of the senior class
"I think we've always been a very close class just like any class is going through with the same guys for those four or five years. Over the past few years the efforts by the group have done more and more to bring this team closer together. We emphasize more of play for your teammates and the guy next to you instead of playing for yourself or something within yourself. It's grown even more exponentially this offseason, and I think it's going to be a big difference maker for us this season."

On the walk-ons contribution to the program this year
"They have always been a great asset to this team. We've been fortunate enough to have guys that are willing to walk on and turn down full rides to other schools. You look at guys like Seung (Hoon Choi) and (Justin) Jackson and (Justin) Blatchford, those guys have earned their right to their scholarship. I love what Justin (Jackson) said the other day when someone asked him how excited he was to have finally gotten his scholarship from the University of Nebraska and he said, 'I didn't come here to get a scholarship, I came here to play.' That's what's at the top of those guys' minds. They want to get on the field and they want to make a difference and they want to start, and they want to help this team win. They are just as important as any scholarship guy on this team. They're the difference-makers just like anyone else is."

On what Jackson has brought to the personality of the offensive line
"He's very much a vocal guy. He makes sure everyone else is ready to practice. There's obviously days when some guys might be feeling down or sore, but guys like Jackson are there to get everyone's motor running. He does a very good job of that because he plays at a very high level whether it's an offseason shake out run in the summer or it's during game time. He is at the same level no matter what he does. He is the same person at all times, and I think that's one of the best things about him is that he is that kind of person no matter where he is or what he's doing."

On whether walk-on players have more energy or desire to play or if its consistent with every player
"I would say that everyone on this team is the same scholarship and walk-ons alike. You see guys working side by side, it could be a scholarship or it could be a walk-on, it doesn't matter. There's no separation or clique on the team that you can tell apart. If you were to look at anybody on our team and nobody were to tell you who was on it you wouldn't be able to tell anyone apart as far as the work ethic of guys on this team and the commitment. I think it's pretty equal right across the board."