July 30, 2003
Head Coach Dennis Franchione and quarterbacks Dustin Long and Reggie McNeal were in Kansas City on Wednesday, meeting with reporters from around the region and country at the annual Big 12 Football Media Days.
Kansas City is the site of this year's Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship game, set for Dec. 6 at Arrowhead Stadium. The two-day event was attended by coaches and student-athletes from all 12 league institutions.
Texas A&M opens the 2003 season one month from today when the Aggies host Arkansas State at Kyle Field on Saturday, August 30. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. (CDT).
(quotes courtesy the )
HEAD COACH DENNIS FRANCHIONE
Opening Statement: "For us as a coaching staff, we're very anxious to get started. With fifteen days of spring practice, that leaves you anxious and excited to get back out there and get back to the players and coach and teach, and find out exactly what we do have. The biggest advantage for me is our coaching staff moved together. From day one our coaching staff was a team."
On goals for the 2003 season: "The seniors don't want to hear about rebuilding, they want to hear about reloading. We want to do the best we can this year. We will have the ultimate highest goals on our goal list. We will do our best on a weekly basis to achieve and reach those goals. Everyday is a learning experience for the players and the coaches."
On the spirit of Texas A&M: "The spirit of it is certainly unique, I think. Watching from the outside in, I thought it was very special and now being able to have an opportunity to be on the inside, it's become more vivid as to why it's special. It's a university with unique spirit to it, the solidarity on campus, the 12th man as a part of our football team."
JUNIOR QUARTERBACK DUSTIN LONG
On the importance of earning the starting role: "As long as we're out there and helping the team win games and make it to the conference championship it doesn't matter who's name is listed as the starter. It's not going to make or break your day, as long as you're winning games and you're the other guy who knows you're rooting for him and you know they're rooting for you when you're out there."
On how he feels about sharing a starting role with another quarterback: "I think the team is a lot better because they believe in two guys. Throughout the season, you're going to have injuries and certain things are going to happen, so if you have two guys that are capable of going in there and moving the offense and scoring points, it's going to help out your team."
On the Aggie offense that surrounds the quarterback: "We've got a bunch of playmakers. It's not just one or two guys where the opponent defense can just key in on one player. We have a lot of weapons that can score so they'll (opponent defense) have to play us evenly."
SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACK REGGIE MCNEAL
On if he's ever entered a season not knowing he was going to start or not and if hat effects his performance: "I've always started, but this is another level. It's a plus for us to have more than one quarterback. Anything could happen to either one of us and we are fortunate enough that if anything did happen to one of us, we have another guy to come in that's just as good."
On the feeling of having a new coach come in: "It's like a boost for everybody, because everybody is starting off equal with a clean slate and an opportunity to show him what they can do. Coach is a perfectionist. He wants perfect practices and perfect plays and having everyone on the same level to start out makes for a good situation to perfect those things and earn their role."
On reflection of last year's season and how they will use what they've learned: "We went 6-6 last year, so that's what sticks in the back of my mind. A 6-6 season is not Aggie football. Anytime you come off a year like that, you're going to be smarter and work harder to get in a better situation the next year . We're just anxious to get out there this year and play"