[Fuller]
How’s your group doing through two games?
“Not bad. They’re doing okay. I thought the first two games we were challenged a little bit and I thought they handled it pretty well.”
Colorado’s got some receivers that are a little bit more of challenge…?
“Yeah, this’ll definitely be more of a challenge than the first two games. No disrespect, but it is what it is. They’re better receivers and the quarterback is a much better quarterback. He’s a guy that actually has time to throw, and he’s got three or four good guys to throw to.”
Clark’s had to step up. Talk about what your evaluation of him is.
“Yeah, Jeremy’s done a great job. And since spring. He’s been very steady and he’s improved. He had a couple glitches last year we’ve been working to get out and he’s trying to get ‘em out. He’s doing well.”
Is Jeremy a natural corner? He’s only played it for a year.
“He’s definitely the safety body, for sure. I think a lot of teams would love to have a corner with that length, and certainly his size and strength. Like I said, from moving from safety he did have a couple little glitches that he had in his game with his feet at corner. It’s a totally different deal, especially with all the pressing we do when you’re up in people’s faces. He’s starting to get it down. He’s working hard at it for sure.”
When you moved him in the first place, why did you do it?
“I think just because of the lack of depth at corner, and, you know, we had some guys at the safety position. I’d just say the lack of depth more than anything.”
[After THE JUMP: Jourdan Lewis’ health, eye discipline, and where Stribling’s improved]
MGoQuestion: What have you thought of your corners’ eye discipline through two game?
“Ah, not bad. Eye discipline. Great question. [laughs] Pretty good. There are some situations where we’d certainly like to have better eyes. As you know, we play a ton of man so you have to have very good eyes. That is the name of the game. A lot of guys, at the first break their eyes go back to the quarterback. And it’s really simple but hard to do: just keep your eyes on the guy. You’re not covering the quarterback, you’re covering the receiver, so we stress that quite a bit.”
Is it tough to see a kid like Jourdan Lewis prepare so hard for the season and then have to sit out?
“Yeah, it is. I mean, he worked his tail off all summer. Probably worked a little too hard. I think that might have been a little too much torque on his body, and some of the issues that he has had the last couple weeks may have been from that. But he had a helluva camp and then all of a sudden his back started to tighten up, which affected his hamstring, which affected his quad and he’s just fighting through these things right now. He’s working hard to get back out there.
“But I’ve got to give credit to the other guys. Strib, JC--like we’ve talked about, Jeremy’s done a great job. Brandon Watson, great job. Coming along really good for a young kid. He stepped right in and he’s in a role where he’s playing much more than a year ago and handling it well. So it is good, in a sense, to get these other guys experience, but at the same time you do miss a kid like Jourdan Lewis.”
What has he been able to do or get out of watching the game for a couple weeks?
“Well, Jourdan’s in the meetings. He’s attentive in meetings. He was great on the sidelines the last two games helping out; [he’s] just another pair of eyes to see what they’re doing. He’s been a good help, a big help.”
Does there need to be a run up for him because it has been a couple weeks? Does he need to have a little bit in one game and then more in another game, or can he step in--
“It just all depends how he handles the week of practice. We’ll just see how it goes. I’m sure there will be some rust, but he’s a pretty competitive kid. We’ll see how it goes.”
You guys are two days in. Did he do everything Monday and Tuesday?
“He’s working through some things. He’s still working with the trainer a little bit. But we expect him by the end of the week to see where he’s at.”
Do you see him get discouraged at all? Is that how he’s been?
“As a competitor I think he’s frustrated. I don’t know if he’s discouraged. He wants to play, but he knows he’s got to get his body right before he can do that so he doesn’t spend more time on the sideline. So he’s taking the right approach, but frustrated, yes, certainly.”
Stribling’s made some big plays for you. Assess his play.
“Yeah, he’s—Strib has played really well. Again, I think all these guys from spring on—actually, from the bowl game on I think they’ve taken a different kind of attitude. It’s their senior year. We’ve got to step our game up and possibly thinking they can go places to continue to play, and I really, really like the way they have approached it. And the work ethic has been pretty good. They’ve been doing what we’ve been asking them to do, and really that’s all you can ask.”
And Stribling, where has he made the biggest gains this year?
“I think in his physicalness at the line of scrimmage. And all these guys, it’s hard for the eyes, to train your eyes. He’s improved in that area, too.”
What do you like about your two freshmen?
“Well, they’re both very gifted. They really are. They’re really good players, but they’re young. They’re young. They’ve got a long, long way to go, but they’ve got some really good things in them. They’re gonna be good.”
You talked about the next level. In the offseason, are there times when, because of your background, you’re able to offer advice? Do they come to you and say, ‘What should I do about this?’ when Jourdan was going through his decision and stuff? Do they throw these things at you?
“Yeah, you know, and we talked about it prior to all that. My door’s always open and they do feel free to walk in, or if I’ve got to pick up the phone and call them—it’s a two-way street.”
Because of your background are you able to have insight when maybe it’s something they haven’t had in the past?
“I would hope it’s helpful for them. Sixteen years of NFL experience, 12 playing and four coaching, so I would hope that it is helpful to them and they feel free to come in my door, as I’ve expressed it several times. Again, we’ve done it and hopefully it’s something they can lean on and is good for them.”