November 10, 1998
Saturday's Missouri game will be the final home game for a bunch of seniors ...
"It's gone by fast. It's an emotional time. We tell them, 'This is going to be the last time you do this in your life. You won't ever put on that uniform again and come out on this field and play a game.' A guy like Dat Nguyen ... really those kids become a part of you. You think about all those times that you've seen him go out there and all the plays you've seen him make, and that's not going to happen anymore. If you're a sentimental type person, those type of things really get to you. It's not going to ever happen again. I was that way with Johnny Holland, William Thomas, Marcus Buckley. You miss those guys when they leave. You get attached to them. You get used to seeing them go out and just knowing that Dat Nguyen is going to line up and make plays. All the sudden it's biting me to think that he's not going to be here."
"I saw (Dat) yesterday and I told him that I can honestly say, in my opinion, there's not been a player that we've ever had here who has done more on the field or off the field. No one has ever represented us better than he has. I believe that. He has been a model guy. He's played when he's been banged up. He's played with great effort. We never had a game where we came out and said, 'Well, Dat didn't really play hard or didn't give us good effort.' We never said that about him. And with all the things he does around campus, he's just been an exceptional, rare guy. The things you try to coach and instill in players aren't always bought into completely by them. But with a guy like Dat, he's already doing all those things. Dat Nguyen will be a very successful person, because he already understands what it take to be a success. All the little virtues that you would like to impart to your players, he has practically all of them already. He's going to take care of his business. He has great pride. He's going to be loyal. He's going to work hard. For some players, it's a constant hammering, just like you do with your own kids. You're always trying to get them to shape up. But Dat is always shaped up. He's a rare individual."
You don't campaign for awards usually, but do you think Dat Nguyen should win the Lombardi and Butkus Awards?
"I do and I think he's got a good chance. The fact that he is a finalist for the Lombardi Award is a real credit when you consider that's for the front seven guys and you've got a linebacker and all those other people. And I would hope that he is a finalist for the Butkus Award. I think in the truest sense, that's the way the awards should be. The guy did it on the field. I didn't do it for him. A&M didn't do it for him. Whatever recognition he's got, he's gotten that recognition being Dat Nguyen, by taking care of his business, by show up to play every week, by playing in the big games, by play week after week throughout his career, by being a gentleman. He's done it and that's the way it should be. It shouldn't be some concocted thing that is generated by something else."
Should the awards only take into account on the field stuff or should they take into consideration what he's done off the field?
"My personal opinion is that it ought to be the whole picture. We're talking about college athletics. We're talking about college kids. I think they should make sure their candidates are good, rounded kids who take care of their business. Then of those guys, which of them performed on the field and then give him the award. I really feel strongly that way. Every vote I ever have will be based on as much as I know about not only the on-the-field performance, but what kind of person he is. He representing my profession, my job. This is amateur athletics and you love guys that do accept some of the role model responsibility. There are things that you believe in as a coach - playing with sportsmanship, being a classy guy, showing up as a competitor each week and doing it with style, being consistent, and doing all those things. We need to look at all those things and see how they measure up. You have a guy who is a great player but he spits on the other guys on the field. We've all seen some of those arrogant jerks out on the field. I wouldn't vote for any of those guys. They're good players, but they're obviously someone you don't want to be around and wouldn't want your youngster looking up to."
Would Dat make a good coach?
"He'd make a great coach. He'd make a great anything. He's going to get a chance to play pro football and I'd be willing to bet he makes it. But whatever happens, he will be a successful guy. He has all the qualities that make for a successful person. Whatever he chooses to do, he will find a way to be successful at it."
Can you talk about Coach Hankwitz's effect on the Wrecking Crew and the way he prepares for games?
"I think he does a great job in preparation and I think it shows up in the consistency of the calls and the way the defense has played. I think that all starts with him being prepared for the game and his preparing of the defense for the game. I've know Mike for a long time and I have always had a great deal of respect for him. When he was at Colorado he came down here once and I got to know him a little bit. I kept up with them. They played great defense there. He's done a great job. He's very unassuming. I think he's very intelligent. He's a 'ball coach' -- this is not the first time he's coached. He's been through a few battles and that really helps."
The A&M defense is up to No. 3 nationally in total defense, and it seems like they're getting back to the old days of Wrecking Crew dominance...
"I think our personnel is getting back. If you look at Warrick Holdman and Jason Glenn and Roylin Bradley -- the kind of players we have out on the edge. We have linebackers who can run, we have defensive linemen that can run, our secondary has some experience. So from a personnel standpoint, we're getting back to that. I feel good about the scheme and the philosophy. I think everybody on the defensive staff is on the same page. I feel good about our defense."
Has the defensive line made the type of progress you were hoping for?
"Probably, in all reality, they are farther along than I expected them to be. I think the defensive line has been one of the pleasant developments on our defense. It was an area that we thought might be troublesome to us because of our lack of experience and lack of size. But it's been a plus for our team. The defensive line has played about as consistent as any area of our team."
If Randy McCown (shoulder injury) is healthy, will he play?
"I haven't seen Randy yet. We're going to go out (Tuesday) and see what he can do. See how much and how well he practices. And then we will make a decision depending on the week's work on who will make the start."
If McCown's healthy and he has good practices, will he start?
"I don't know. We'll wait until Saturday."
Is there a danger of getting second-guessed about the quarterbacks?
"That will probably happen, but it won't bother me. I recognize that whichever way you go, there will be those who think you went the wrong direction. But my only concern is going in the direction that gives us the best chance to win. In coaching, you have feeling for all the players, but my overriding feelings are for the overall well-being of our football team. One of the hardest things about coaching is that you can't play everybody, particularily when it comes to starting. Somebody is going to trot out there on Saturday as the starter. That will be a decision I will make along with the input from our quarterbacks coach and our offensive coordinator."
This team seems to be able to stay on an even keel week after week. Does it help that Dat Nguyen is the star of the team but doesn't act like it?
"Dat Nguyen is a star, who doesn't have a star attitude. He's a very down to earth guy. He's appreciative of being able to play for the team. He recognizes that he is fortunate to be in this position. He works to stay in that position. Success has made him hungrier and not satisfied. Some people have success and immediately get satisfied. Others, the more success the hungrier they get. The more they want of it. The great players are like that. They always want to get a little bit better. And that's why they do, because they keep working at it."
What about Missouri?
"Missouri is a very well-coached team. If you look at them, they are a solid defensive team. They are always in position. They play hard. On offense they provide problems throwing the ball. The quarterback presents problems with scrambling. They have a hard-running running back. He's not flashy, but he comes right at you. Their special teams run back punts, they block punts, they block field goals. It's obvious they spend a lot of time on special team. They have all the earmarks of a good football team. They went to a bowl game last year. They're in the same position as us -- they control their own destiny. If they win the next two games, they win the North. If we win the next two games, we represent the South. So we really have the same things that we're playing for. We know because of that they will be very motivated for this game. It's what you would expect for a game played in November. Both teams will be highly motivated for the game."