August 31, 1999
On Number of Quality Running Backs:
"I'm really pleased with our running backs. Last year there was a time when we got really thin in the backfield and it is encouraging to start the season with some guys that are proven performers in my mind. We've got Dante (Hall). We've got Ja'Mar (Toombs), Eric Bernard, Tiki (Hardeman). They are all guys that have played. It's been a couple of years since Eric has played with any regularity, but when he played as a true freshman, I thought he was a pretty good player then. From what I've seen in practice, I like him. When you take that and then look at some of the younger guys like Richard Whitaker and Joe Weber. We are contemplating right now maybe playing both of them this year. We haven't made a definite decision on it, but we are practicing both of them as though they are going to play."
On Who is the first team fullback:
"Tiki is running with the first team. If everything stays the same, he will likely start the ball game. Overall, Tiki has always been a very good runner and has had more experience blocking and at this point is a better blocker than Ja'Mar is. That is an area that Ja'Mar is working on and will have to get better in to become the complete package. Ja'Mar is a good runner, but I can't say he is a better runner than Tiki. Tiki has demonstrated over several years that he is a pretty good runner, but the blocking right now is the big thing, and Tiki is ahead of Ja'Mar right now in blocking ability."
On the Kicking Game:
"I'm encouraged right now. I haven't seen Terence Kitchens kick a field goal in a game, but he has been really consistent this summer during two-a-days, he was about as consistent as anyone we've had. I'm confident about it right now. Unless he just goes into the game and falls right on his face, we will be fine. I feel every bit as good about it as I felt this time a year ago. We've got a new deep snapper, Chance Pearce, who I feel good about. He has been very consistent in practice and we've got Lechler returning as the holder. Lechler has been working all summer on field goals and he is kicking consistently, and that gives us another solid guy there in case we needed a backup kicker or a guy that, if I needed a 54 yard field goal, I might put Lechler in there and let him have a shot at it. He has been doing a good job kicking off and his punting is good, as it always has been. We've got a lot of guys that are proven to return punts and kicks. Dante was doing a great job on returns, but he was getting so much work at tailback, that we needed to get him some help back there. Jason Webster and Chris Taylor helped out, so we've got three guys that have returned punts for us in games, and all of them have had some success doing it. We are also working Bethel (Johnson) there. We may not do it this week, but he has been practicing as a punt returner, so that gives us another possibility. That is the best we've ever been. We've had time when we've only had one guy that we had any confidence at all in back there catching punts. Right now, I would be totally confident in putting anyone of those three back there."
On Louisiana Tech having a game under their belt:
"That is a major advantage. They played the No. 1 team in the nation last week at their place in an afternoon game. The conditioning factor is a major plus, and also the adjustment factor are both major advantages. I am concerned about playing against this type of team in the first ball game."
On eagerness to see offense:
"I am, I'm anxious to see us. I'm anxious to see them all play, but I'm particularly anxious to see the offense. I'm anxious to see Randy (McCown) with the spring training and off-season under his belt. I'm anxious to see this group of wide receivers, Michael De la Torre, our backs, and Tiki back there playing again. I do think this offense is going to have more capability than what we've had in the past. I feel better about our offensive capabilities than I have in a while."
On Randy McCown's maturity:
"One of the things I feel good about is the fact that he has been in a lot of situations. He came in and redshirted as a freshman and has played in what is now going on his fourth year. He has worked his way up through the ranks and has seen a lot of snaps and a lot of different scenarios. He should be confident, there is not a whole lot you can throw at him that he hasn't seen somewhere along the line. He has a lot of respect from his teammates, so that puts him in a good leadership position."
On similarities of USL game in '96:
"Last time we went on this kind of trip we were playing a similar team in a similar situation and I'll say this, that if we go over there and turn the ball over eight times, we'll probably have a similar outcome. We have to keep our poise and play our game. It will be a good test to see if we can go into this environment and maintain our poise and play our game and not let all the distractions and the crowd get to us."
On Backup Quarterback situation:
"I feel good about it. We've got two guys that have worked hard in the spring and have had good two-a-days. If something happened to Randy, I feel like we could take the other two guys and go through this season and not be just dead in the water. Either of those guys would be able to go out and play quarterback for us. They wouldn't have the experience that Randy would have, but they would both be able to do some things on the field and we wouldn't be totally wiped out if we had to play one of those guys."
A&M's Bethel Johnson Returns to Practice
Texas A&M freshman wide receiver Bethel Johnson will return to practice on Tuesday and could be available for Saturday's A&M season-opener against Louisiana Tech in Shreveport, La.
"Bethel is going to try to practice today," Aggie head coach R.C. Slocum said at his Tuesday media luncheon. "I'd say he is possible for the ballgame or probable, depending on how it comes out today. Sunday, he did some straight away running and will do a little more than that today."
Johnson had a screw inserted in his foot last week to repair a stress fracture.