Here are the full transcripts for what Seahawks players and coaches had to say on Thursday.
Super Bowl XLIX - Thursday, January 29, 2015
HEAD COACH PETE CARROLL
(on his relationship with Will Ferrell and what Ferrell said when he spoke to the team) "The last time he visited with the team was a while back at, I think it was a preseason game. He jumped in the meeting room, telling everybody he was an L5 and he was going to lead the kickoff team right down the middle. Nobody bought it. He's been to a couple games and we've had a great time over the years doing stuff. We haven't done too much this time. I think he's going to be on the Jimmy Fallon show after the game or something, that's why he's in town. A little plug for the TV show."
(on the origin of ‘Turnover Thursday,' how it works for him and how important it is) "Well, it is the No. 1 thing that we emphasize in the program because we think it is the biggest single factor that determines winning or losing. I think it's a really interesting fact. I threw it out here the other day, that in the last three years, we're plus-51 and so are the Patriots and we're way ahead of everybody else in that regard. It's a big commitment that goes across the board, all players on the team have to weigh into that. They obviously understand it like we do and it's been very helpful. So, yeah, today is that day. Either the offense is going to win or the defense is going to win, depends on what happens with the ball today."
(on New England's use of eligible and ineligible receivers and what communications he has had with the officials on how he expects to be able to respond in those situations and how he has prepared his team for that) "Right from the beginning of the week last week, after the Indianapolis game, some things popped up so I went right to call them in to find out what is going to happen about the mechanics of stuff. There was a mistake made in that game that was on a touchdown play, when a player came in, reported eligible and then stayed on for the next play and didn't get off the field and they scored a touchdown on that play - that shouldn't have happened.
That's something that could happen. The Colts got fooled on that play. On the next player reporting eligible it was a different player, so it got confusing and they miscovered the guy. We don't want that to happen if we can help it, so we called in and asked about that. They came back with a very clear response about that. They're going to have a new signal that designates when a player with an ineligible number will be eligible - that's the same. But, when an eligible number is now ineligible, they're going to make a new declaration to the players on the field so that you'll clearly identify that. I know the league is absolutely committed to getting that right and doing that well.
The Patriots have brought that to the forefront because they've been using some stuff like that lately. We've been preparing for it every day because we don't want to be caught in mishandling on our end. It's really on us to see it. The officials do what they do, but we still have to find it because it could happen like it did to the Colts. We're very much in tune with it. It has just been part of the preparation so it's not a big deal to us now."
(on what that new signal is) "The new signal is the referee will point to the player that has the eligible number and he'll signal that he is not eligible. That's the new thing. They've never done that before."
(on what linebacker Bobby Wagner is best at and how he has seen him grow into the role he holds now) "Bobby is a tremendous athlete. He's really fast. He was a 4.4 guy coming out and he has real natural abilities. Very adept quickness-wise. Hand-eye coordination is great. He's really a very, very good athlete for the position. When Bobby came to us, a pretty raw player that came in the door and we threw him right in, in the middle, to see if he could take command of the huddle and the calls and all that and he's never backed off of that. He has grown and become a tremendous leader on our team, noting the impact that he had when he came back after injury this year was a big factor for us. He's an all-around player. He can cover really well. He can blitz well. He's the best we have at going sideline to sideline and he's a big factor for us."
(on if he has any special strategy to defend New England in the Super Bowl) "At this time late in the year, we're committed to who we are and what we are pretty much. In that, we have a certain area of flexibility that we can adjust in a game, but for the most part we're going to do what we always do and we're going to do the things that we believe in and the things that make us strong. But with that, we have to have the flexibility to rush better than we have at times when he's (New England quarterback Tom Brady) throwing the football, to cover in very good fashion because of the uniqueness of their receivers. The tight end (New England tight end Rob Gronkowski) is a fantastic player that we have to do some things within our package to take care of him. It's going to be a combination of all of those things working together in the throwing game and we're not neglecting at all their commitment to the run. Just a couple games ago, they ran the ball 40 times in a game which is a tremendous commitment. The next game they ran 14 times. We have to find out how they want to play it as we go through the game. But, we're going to do the things that we do well and hopefully that will be good enough for us. Most importantly for us is we want to play with great speed. We want to play really, really fast and we want to chase the football and run all over the place and shorten those distances and make those yards after catch kept at a minimum and stay away from the big plays and all that. Those are the same things we always do. We hope to do that really well again this weekend."
(on how he would define defensive passing game coordinator Rocky Seto's responsibilities on the coaching staff and how he settled on that title for him) "First off, Rocky Seto, he's been a part of our staff since I arrived at USC (University of Southern California). He came on as a graduate assistant way back in the day. He had played at USC and been part of the administrative staff. So, I watched him grow up in our system. He has become really the keeper of the records. He's got all the information. He knows everything we've ever done and how we've done it. He's a tremendous resource for us to always stay in touch with the principles and the philosophy and all that. He's been the passing game coordinator. He's been a special confidant to me to maintain our language and our belief because he goes back the furthest with me. He's been a great friend. He's been a great coach for us. He's been a very integral part of everything that we do. He has meetings with the team every day. He has something, a certain part of our meetings that he does and presentations and stuff. He's a big factor for us. He's a great football coach."
(on a former coach saying that it is important to be the first team to use trick plays and if he finds that to be the case) "First off, are you going to reveal the source so we know the depth that this runs?"
(on the source being Steve Mariucci) "I don't agree with him at all. Next question. (laughing) No, I don't agree with the fact that you have to pull off the first trick play. I don't know what that means. You've got to do it at the right time so you can execute it and you can have success with it whenever it is because there's not - to me - and I'd like to talk to him about it, but this overall arching thought that once a trick play has happened that you can't do another one. I don't think that's the way it is. We try to pull it off at the time when it works out right for us and we can take the most advantage of it and we always have to be on the lookout, we always have to be attentive to it. It really comes down to fundamentals on the defensive side for the most part and special teams, that you cover your bases and you know what's coming so that you don't get caught not seeing it coming. I don't agree with that."
(on how important it was for him to have dual responsibility when he came to Seattle, both coaching and personnel and what the challenges are of assuming the personnel role in addition to coaching from a time management standpoint) "It's crucial to have the combination of expertise to do this and I'm so fortunate that I do this with General Manager John Schneider. John is a tremendous personnel guy. He's a tremendous manager. I absolutely lean a thousand percent on John to do all of the stuff of generating information, collecting all that we need to know, making decisions of great depth and concern through all aspects of what we do personnel wise, as well as being my best friend and everything that we're pulling off. I think it's too big a job for one guy. I personally think it's too big. There's too much stuff going on. It's a whole other season of work that's being done while the football season is going on that a football coach just wouldn't be able to handle properly. You can oversee, you can have an opinion and all that, but I'm very, very fortunate to have John as my partner in this and so we just work together and figure it all out and make the decisions as we go. During the football season I'll help him with the football thoughts. During the personnel season he'll help me with the personnel thoughts. We have made a tremendous commitment to each other to always bring out the best in one another and so that's how we've done it. Without John we would be nowhere."
(on if he has less time dedicated to coaching than in his previous stops with New England and the New York Jets based on his increased personnel role) "No, it didn't work out that way at all. If you do this right, you have to give it everything you have forever. That's what we do football wise. That's why it's so crucial to have a guy that you can lean on that we've come together in our thoughts and what we're looking for. If John (Schneider) is looking, it's the same thing as if I'm looking is basically what it amounts to now. We've converged in that manner so that we could operate at a really high level. I don't think it's taken any football off of me at all. There is a good, substantial offseason where we have plenty of time to do this work, but it all has to be set up beautifully by his side of it for sure."
(on what he remembers about New England defensive end Chandler Jones when he was scouting pass rushers in 2012 and what type of player he has developed into) "We really liked him. The length that he has, the long arms and the reach, very similar to Aldon Smith and that kind of effect that a player can have. He's a really good all-around athlete. He's very gifted. He runs well enough to be a big factor. It was just really, the thing we were waiting to see is how he would develop physically. Would he get stronger and continue to grow and expand because he had all the natural stuff. We thought he was a really good player and we consider him with high regard as we have to defend now against him and what he brings. It's a good challenge."
(on if he agrees with what people are saying about his defense being as good as the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s) "I don't know that. Those kind of comparisons are for people in the media to do. It's not for us because it doesn't matter and we don't really care about it. It's a flattering to be considered in that conversation is really all it is. To gauge that, I can't. Our players, anybody that does that, we really don't know. It's just talk, which is great for you guys. For us, it doesn't figure in."
(on what his earliest exposure was to the zone-read and how his zone-read package is similar or dissimilar to what other people do) "You want to know everything I know about the zone-read games? No, I got you. It was back in the college days and the most obvious example of it was when we played the Oregon teams and we played them early on. (Former Oregon Head Coach/current Philadelphia Head Coach) Chip Kelly really had the big factor in bringing that to prominence, but he wasn't the only one. The people running the ‘pistol' up in Reno and there were a lot of people that were doing it in college football. But, that's when we really started to pay attention to it and when we really had to mess with it. I think even back all the way to when we played Illinois in the Rose Bowl it was a big deal with those guys, the quarterback running. It's been a big factor. Having to stop it and having to deal with it is also having to respect it and regard it in a manner that if we could incorporate it into our football we knew we would be creating more problems for our opponents. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense for the quarterback that doesn't have the dynamics to make something of it. We fortunately do. Russell (Wilson) is a quarterback that wants to throw the football. He'll run when he has to, but he understands how to utilize it. He's a master at reading it. He's phenomenal at doing it at the times when he's not going to get hit, which is the only reason we keep doing it. If he was getting hit all the time we wouldn't do it. We've just incorporated it in hopes, in compliment to the rest of the things we do. (Former NFL/College Head Coach) Bill Walsh said a long time ago, if you can do a lot of things really well, then you're really hard to defend. We'd like to do a lot of things that make it really taxing for our opponent where they have to figure out how to focus on this and that. It makes us a difficult offense to deal with and Russell is right at the centerpiece of that."
(on if he feels that this team is young enough and that the core will be there for a long time that no matter what happens with Russell Wilson's contract so he will have a successful team for a long time to come) "We're hoping so. (General Manager) John (Schneider) has spent a tremendous amount of effort in long view, in looking down the road to see how we can continue to maintain the core of our club at the high level and with the guys that we have built it around.
We're in the process of doing that and I think it should be pretty obvious that we reward our own guys and those are the guys not only that we've sighted early that we thought were going to be good but we've been able to develop and really kind of guarantee where we're going with them. That's a big part of this. There is a fine balance in there and we saw the (Baltimore) Ravens a couple years ago, they had to have a big change in their football team because of the financial aspect of that. We don't anticipate that. We think we're structured in a way that we can hold on - that's being optimistic and looking for the good stuff here, that's how we're seeing it.
It brings us to very difficult decisions come the offseason. We'll always have those and every team does. We're hoping that being able to see and trust in what we've seen from our players now and we'll be able to maintain that nucleus of the club that will allow us to keep the identity and keep the focus. There are a lot of guys that are a big part of that. (Running back) Marshawn (Lynch) is a big part of that. (Wide receiver) Doug Baldwin and (wide receiver) Jermaine (Kearse), those guys are a big part of that. Our linebackers are a big part of that.
There are safeties right down the middle. There are so many of these guys that have become such big aspects of our team that we are working to keep them together and we're going to try to do that in the best way possible. I know Russell wants to play on a really good team too and he understands that there is no better competitor with awareness about that makeup, so I'm sure that that's part of his conscious as we go through this. We'll figure it out in time. It's going to be a big challenge. However, we do have a plan and John is, I think, he's doing a wonderful job of carrying it out right now."
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR DAN QUINN
(on people comparing his defense to Baltimore's defense from a few years ago) "One, it's flattering to hear but one you're in the season, all you're really about is the next game. We'll let that topic come up in the offseason because right now really the focus is just about this game and all the things that we can do well. Of course it's flattering to hear. There's so many great players and defenses from different eras with different styles. Our guys love the challenge, but during the course of the season, you're just really worried about the next opponent."
(on what the most dangerous thing about the New England offense is) "I really think it starts with their quarterback. He's such an accurate thrower. He knows where to go with the ball. They've got a variety of different weapons, and they know how to feature them. We've got our hands full in terms of their offense. They're really balanced whether they want to run it or whether they want to throw it, then the way they can use their feature guys. The quarterback's a terrific competitor one where we'll have to try our best to affect him in the game."
(on what Seattle's defense needs to do to stop New England) "The biggest thing for us is the effort and the speed that we play with. We want to be as fast and physical as we can. We work hard on our tackling, but really that mindset of how fast and hard we can play. We hope it's hard to match."
(on if Seattle's defense needs to change anything if quarterback Tom Brady is getting the football out of his hands quick) "We faced some other teams this year that got rid of the ball as quickly as the Patriots do. We don't necessarily change our style. We do appreciate the way they're throwing it at times, how quickly the ball can get out there."
(on how getting pressure on Brady is just as good as a sack) "We always talk about affecting the quarterback. For us, those terms are getting the quarterback off his spot so after he sets up, be able to make him move to have to throw. The big thing for us is just make them feel the pressure. They do a terrific job in terms of protecting him. He does a great job with knowing when to throw the ball that there's not a lot of reason for him to hold it. Our rushers, the way we pressure is definitely going to be a backbone for us."
(on if facing quarterback Aaron Rodgers was a good primer for New England) "That's such a hard challenge when you face guys that get rid of the ball so quickly. Although you may not get the sacks, the hits and the movement in the pocket are important. When you do get rid of the ball so quick, it means there's a lot of quick game, so our tackling really has to be on point. They're going to complete passes so for us, we need to make sure the yards after contact are small. That's going to be a real factor too."
(on who the toughest guy is Seattle's faced this year other than Brady) "There's been a number of them. Even the way we started the season, we faced some terrific quarterbacks. I think our first game we started with Green Bay. Then I think we played San Diego. Then the third and fourth games around there were vs. Denver and Dallas. We knew the first part of the season there was going to be some terrific quarterbacks that presented all kinds of challenges. If you guys can remember, Green Bay placed a huge emphasis on going no huddle at the start of the year. There were other teams and Denver was that way as well. We made a big emphasis and really we practiced our whole training camp against no huddle knowing we were going to play teams like Philadelhpia during the year.
That could feel normal as well. We get a great benefit going against our own offense and all the challenges they present. In Coach's (Pete Carroll) philosophy and system, we get to practice against our own offense quite a bit. They're able to go in and out of tempo. Our offense presents a bunch of challenges, so we love to get the chance to go against them as well."
(on his point of view with the ineligible and eligible receivers New England has) "One of the big things with these guys is they have a big playbook. They have a number of different ways to attack. There are certain games where the runs are low and the passes are high. Then vice versa. I think of the Indy game where the runs were high and the passes weren't quite as high. It makes you go through the whole process in terms of who we're going to defend and how we're going to attack them. The extra time last week was worthwhile for us. They make you go through it, and that's for sure."
(on how counterintuitive it is for somebody to see New England running back Shane Vereen line up in the slot but leave him uncovered because he's ineligible) "When you go through that whole process, that's an unusual one from them, and that's one way for them to attack. One of the nice parts of our defense is we're not so complex that we have multiple calls for every scenario. We really try to just stay true to our style. We don't have so many defenses in the scheme, so that allows us to sort of not get out of rhythm based on what they're doing."
(on how much time he spends a day on the element New England brings with the obscure formations) "Some time for sure, so it's not like it's going to be the entire part of the game. They have plenty of stuff for us to work on, so it is part of the plan but it's not the full plan.
(on how the officials are going to signal to the players ineligible receivers on the field in a very specific way) "That's just what we do in practice. It's one more chance for us to try and simulate how the officials will do it with the exact communication, so we're trying to do that as well. We want to get our guys as well prepared as can be."
(on stopping New England's yards after the catch) "One of the real goals for us is we want to see how fast and physical we can play. For us to be one of the best fundamentally teams in football, tackling is at the forefront of it. We spend as much time as we can every Wednesday, every Thursday in a portion of our individual time and even our meeting time on tackling. When you see those stats where the numbers are down - the yards after contact - it makes you know that the drill work you've done is successful."
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR DARRELL BEVELL
(on the process of tailoring an offense to quarterback Russell Wilson's throwing and running abilities) "It's kind of a cool process to be able to work with and to be able to have a guy of his skill set. He definitely has unique skills. I've never been in the zone read and most of our staff really hadn't either.
The study and the fact-finding that we were trying to do, then the trial and error that we came up with during practice and seeing what worked, what didn't, what adjustments we needed to make. It was kind of fun to be able to use him with the rest of our scheme, to be able to still have our philosophy with running the football, being a physical, dominating, exert your will on the opponent kind of an offense, to be able to have the zone read - which seems to be a little bit more finesse but to keep the physical-ness to it. Then, of course the things that are going to come off of it in the pass game, those are all kind of fun things to have to be able to come up with."
(on Wilson seeming reluctant to run last season and if that change this year as Wilson lead quarterbacks in rushing) "I don't think he's changed. Still our No. 1 goal is to not run him. We want to hand the ball to (running back) Marshawn (Lynch), and we want him to take the brunt of the carries. We kind of say, 'Hey, we'll take the free if they're going give it to us,' but we want Marshawn carrying it. He's made great decisions doing it. He's had opportunities to be able to pull it and get some big plays out of it. Some of those runs come off of scrambles, as well. He's willing to take what they give him."
(on what makes Wilson successful as a running quarterback) "We're not trying to make him anything. We want him to be Russell Wilson. We want him to be able to be his unique self. If it calls for running then so be it. We believe in him. We trust in him to make smart decisions, because that's what it really comes down to is at the end of the play when you're going to get tackles, you're going to get hit. We want to minimize the impact of those hits on him. He makes great decisions doing that. In the pass game, Russell does a great job keeping his eyes down the field. Some of our biggest plays come when he's moving around the pocket, and the play's broke down and it's the play within the play and the guys making the adjustments down the field for him. He keeps his eyes up. He's not trying to turn into a straight runner. He still wants to be able to throw the ball in those cases. If it's not there, then he makes great decisions."
(on what makes wide receiver Jermaine Kearse so valuable to Seattle) "Jermaine can do anything for us. When you have a guy that runs routes, that catches the ball, makes big plays in the pass game, that's willing to go in and do the dirty work in the run game - he's one of the best blockers that we have. Then, you see him out there on most of the special teams where he's running down and being the gunner on punt team, those kinds of things. It's not like he's this high-profile guy where all he does is run routes. He'll do anything for us. He's willing to get in there, get dirty, do the dirty work. You love guys like that."
(on how much of the struggles against Green Bay in the NFC Championship game were Seattle's execution as opposed to Green Bay's defense) "I've got to give some credit to Green Bay. They were doing a nice job, but we were struggling early. It was uncharacteristic of us. We were making mistakes, guys going the wrong way or not making a play here, jumped offsides three times in the game, put ourselves really behind in down and distance. There was some conflicting stuff there, as well."
(on how he feels about Kearse and wide receiver Ricardo Lockette matched up against New England cornerbacks Logan Ryan and Kyle Arrington on Sunday) "I like my guys. I really do. Our guys are all hard workers. They're really good at what they do. They're good at functioning with what we ask of them. It's going to be interesting to see how they play us. They could go any number of ways, and it's going to be fun to see that matchup. We trust Lockette, trust Jermaine, trust (wide receiver) Doug (Baldwin), trust (tight end) Luke (Willson). Whatever comes up we'll be able to do well, but the key is there are probably going to have to be adjustments made, because if they line up that way then, "OK, how are we going to perceive?" They line up another way, 'OK, how are we going to perceive,' because they've done so much stuff on tape. They have so many different combinations of what they've used in the secondary, so many different fronts, personnels. It'll be interesting to see how they decide to play us."
LINEBACKERS COACH KEN NORTON, JR.
(on his message to Seattle's linebackers going into the season coming off of the success of last year) "Success breeds success. I think anytime anybody has success, they get hungry. They get greedy. They want more. I think that as young as our team was and the way they felt last year being in the biggest game of all time, and everybody grows up looking at the Super Bowl like, ‘Wow.' Now that they've been able to taste it, they don't want anybody else to have it. That's our game. This is where we're supposed to be.
When you have a team and players that are that eager and hungry, and they're young so they're still listening, you don't want to get them too old, because when they're too old they'll stop listening. Now that they're young, they're still listening. As long as they're listening, we're coaching them. We're just talking to them about how to stay focused, how not to let the distractions get to you, don't forget about the things that got us there. Guys understanding the core players, what got us to this point, and just staying true to our fundamentals. Let them know that we are a pretty good team. It's one thing to have a group of players playing really good - it's another thing to have a team of great players."
(on if he lives by that message in everyday life) "Yeah. We spend a lot of time - football is our life. We spend more time in the office than we do at home, so there's no doubt. We can't speak and preach one way, and live another way."
(on how Seattle compares to other championship teams he has been a part of) "They're very comparable. I think that if you're talking about Super Bowl winning teams, this team is still in progress. You can't win one and think you're a dynasty - you've got to win several. I think they're in the middle of their prime right now. I think that history will judge them once it's all over, so it's important for us to really understand how important this time is for us, and that the window to be really good is short. We have all our really good players maturing at the same time, and we do have a group of fantastic, fantastic ball players all at the prime of their life and the prime of their career. So they better take advantage of it now because the window closes, and it's on to another team."
(on how he prepares his players for playing in the red zone) "Well we just watch a lot of film, do a lot of studying. Really try to understand what we do best and try to limit explosive plays. New England's very good in the red zone - they're the number one team in the league. They score a lot of points and they're down there a lot. It's going to be a really tough challenge for us, but we're up for the challenge. We're ready and I think the guys are eager. We've been watching a lot of film and doing a lot of studying for two weeks now when it's normally one week to play our top games. They're really good, we're really good, so we're looking forward to a really tough matchup."
(on how he transmits the message of being a champion to his players, especially the rookies) "Well it doesn't start this week - it starts way back in training camp. It starts with how you live, how you work, how you study, how you practice, how you compete - all those things are pointing towards how to be a champion. How you talk, how you think, how you rest, how you lift weights, how you walk - there's so many different ways that are connected to being really good. It's not just one thing. I think at their age, and how much they've been able to see how working hard and what the reward is, I think they've done a fantastic job of taking care of business."
(on being a repeating Super Bowl champion, and the biggest challenge of that) "I think the biggest challenge is the distractions. Just the success, everybody telling you how good you are, and then you kind of believing it and kind of get away from the team. Sometimes when you have too much success as an individual, it makes you an individual player. If you just kind of think that, ‘I'm the reason why we're winning,' when really football is the ultimate team game. You've got to have kickers, you've got to have blockers, you've got to have tacklers, and receivers and throwers, and people covering kicks and all these kinds of things. There's so many different things involved in this team.
After a little time, you can stay focused. You stay grateful and aware that it's a team game and that you need everybody, and that you can't fall away from that. You have to stay fundamentally sound. When you have great leadership from the top with the owner, and coach (Pete) Carroll, and (general manager) John Schneider - they have a really good understanding of what it takes, and you kind of see things happening before they happen, and kind of guide your team a certain way. You can't say enough about how they've led us through this whole back-to-back thing that we're trying to do."
(on being in a lot of big games, and if he ever stops and thinks about that) "Yeah. A wise man once told me that once you start counting, that's when you're done. You know when you're young and you're trick-or-treating, and you've got all your candy. While you're getting the candy, you didn't count them, but when you got home when you were done, you started going through your candy and started dispersing. That's when you're done. So right now, we're still collecting the candy, and we can't count quite yet."
(on if he admires what New England has been able to do) "Yeah, you have to really admire them. It's really hard. Everybody's talking about back-to-back, two years straight - these guys are going on, what, number six now in that time period? It's a testament to the coaching, to the leadership, to keeping the core group of players together, your system, getting the right players in. You have to take your hats off to them. Really, really sharp. Really, really admirable how they've been able to do it. It's not easy - it's really, really hard."
(on if Seattle aspires to reach that level of consistency) "No question. Our team is young. Guys are maturing at a high level because they're having so much success during the prime of their careers at this point. Our average age is like 27 on our team, so the guys are really young. I think they understand that it's a short window, so you have to really take advantage of your opportunities. You have to take advantage of the guys that you have. We really have to keep our core guys together. You have to play every game like it's your last because it could be your last. There's a short window, such a short window. You've been around ball enough and Super Bowls enough to know they go through cycles, and right now they're going to be judged by how they handle their time."
QUARTERBACK RUSSELL WILSON
(on his ability to deliver in big moments, and where that comes from) "I have faith in the ability that God gave me, and I trust that the guys around me are going to make the plays, so I don't know. I've watched a lot of great players play before. I've studied Michael Jordan, I've studied Derek Jeter, I've studied (New England quarterback) Tom Brady - watching those guys and just learning from their mentality and learning from their clutch state of mind. I just love trying to play like that. I love trying to visualize being successful."
(on the one skill in his skillset that makes him excel as a quarterback) "Hopefully, my leadership. I think that's the biggest thing. Obviously I can throw and run and do all that stuff, but I think there's a lot of guys in the National Football League that can do that type of thing. I think that what I try to do is I try to bring something extra to the table every time I step on the field."
(on how he keeps calm in clutch situations) "Well, I think it's the ability to focus and also the ability to relax in a very, very tough situation and just be able to play with a poised mind. Like I said earlier, trust the guys you have around you that they're going to make the plays and just keep coming to them, keep throwing the football their way. Just focus on the fundamentals of it, too. Focus on the fundamentals of the game and have great fundamentals and great leadership, and just try to find a way to make a play."
(on if wide receiver Doug Baldwin would be a good pick as the hero of the Super Bowl this year) "You never know with our team. You never know who's going to be a star player in our game because we have so many different guys that make so many different plays for us. So many different guys are versatile. Doug Baldwin's a good choice though. (Wide receiver) Jermaine Kearse is a good choice."
(on why Baldwin would be a good choice) "Just because he's had a great week of practice. He's been phenomenal for us all year. He's been clutch for us all year. There's been so many different guys - you never know who's going to be the hero. Hopefully everybody can play a great game, and we'll see what happens."
(on if Baldwin is underappreciated around the league) "I think Doug Baldwin is one of the better receivers in the league. He's so quick. What he brings to the table, not many guys have. His quick ability, his understanding of the game, great hands. We always argue who's taller, me or him, but I think I've got him by a little bit. He's just an aggressive player and can really make a lot of plays."
(on what makes him effective when he keeps the ball when running the zone-read with running back Marshawn Lynch) "They have to bring attention to Marshawn. Obviously being the best running back in the National Football League, they've got to pay attention to him, so I try to hand him off the football. Really, like I said yesterday, 99 percent of my goal is to hand the ball off to Marshawn. If nobody's over there, then I'll take it."
(on the importance of preparation) "Well I believe the separation is in the preparation - just getting prepared, getting your mind ready. I believe that when you're prepared, you're never nervous and you enjoy the game for what it is. I think it gives me a great chance to be successful more times than not. I think it also helps to lead the other guys to be successful, too, and keep their mind on the right things."
(on the preparation this week specifically for the Super Bowl) "No different than any other game. I go through my checklist every week. I go through my checklist of certain blitzes, certain coverages, certain situations and just get my mind prepared for that."
(on if playing in a Super Bowl a year ago is beneficial to him) "Yeah, I definitely think playing in a Super Bowl a year ago is beneficial. I think that having the experience of the week - the biggest difference between a normal game or playoff game and the Super Bowl is the extra media, hanging out with you guys all day. Getting pulled out of meetings for media, that's the biggest difference. I think the best way to use that experience is to take advantage of those moments, just take it in. Enjoying being with you guys and just taking advantage of the opportunity, and just being in the moment."
(on the benefit of knowing the atmosphere of the game itself) "One of the most exciting parts where you really realize you're playing in the Super Bowl is when you go out there for the coin toss. Then the kickoff where they take all the extra lights, that's one of my favorite parts. That's the part you look forward to. You think, ‘Man, I'm really here.' The game, though, is no different. The more that you can treat the game as just a game - it's just 100 yards, 53 and a third. Like I said, Katy Perry is the halftime performer, so that's an exciting part, but other than that it's still the same old game. You're just trying to find a way to score one more point than them."
(on how difficult it will be to be the same guy next year after likely receiving a lot of money from a contract extension) "It's not going to be difficult at all. I know what's important to me. I know what I stand for and all that. So in terms of money, that won't affect me at all. I'm just blessed to be on this team and blessed to have a great situation. I've worked extremely hard. I work extremely hard every day to try to be one of the best and try to get our team to be one of the best teams in the National Football League, and that's kind of just my mindset. It's about others. It's about affecting a culture. It's about helping change and it's about winning a lot of football games, too. That's what we've been able to do."
(on what makes running back Marshawn Lynch a special player) "I think what makes Marshawn such a special player is he's very loyal. He's loyal to his teammates. He's loyal to the game of football."
(on if Head Coach Pete Carroll has a signature line) "Always compete. That's kind of what we talk about, always competing at the highest level and preparing the right way. Also, just enjoying the game. Enjoying the game for what it's worth, and we're just so grateful."
(on what he'll be doing the night before the game) "The night before the game I'll go through my preparations and go through my checklist. Go through the play-calls and select basically what plays that I want to be called and what plays I really like with coach (Darrell) Bevell. Me and him have a great relationship in terms of that, and we really try to figure out a lot of the game plan in terms of what we want to call and what we want to attack them with. Then just get some good rest, go to Bible study and sleep well."
(on the importance of nutrition for football players) "Nutrition is huge. To eat healthy and to be able to take care of your body, and to be able to give yourself a chance to be successful and feel good on gameday and throughout the week. I want to play 20 years, so for me a lot of it is taking care of your body and taking care of your mind, and staying healthy."
(on his ability to handle questions from the media) "Growing up, my dad and my mom used to always ask me questions, especially my dad. He used to always ask me questions. ‘Russell, you just got to the Super Bowl,' or, ‘You just won Super Bowl MVP.' All these questions as I was growing up - seven, ten, fifteen years old, so those questions prepared me. I went to a great school in Collegiate School growing up in high school.
I went to NC State for communications, broadcasting, then I went to grad school for business and all that. I've just been around great people and great education. My parents taught me about education, how important that was. Also being engaging in certain questions, really being in tune with that - that's kind of the hardest trick, especially when you're so focused and wired in on football right now. You have to wire your mind into the next thing that you're doing."
CORNERBACK BRYON MAXWELL
(on why he feels that the Kansas City game was the turning point for the team) "I don't know if you can see tired of losing, but things had to change. We just didn't accept it. We don't like that feeling around here. Winning is an addictive feeling and you want that feeling."
(on if New England will look at the Kansas City game and try to find weaknesses) "Yeah, why not? That was the last time we lost, so why not go look at that game plan and see what worked for them?"
(on how surreal it is being a full-time starter) "It is cool. I just took it for what it was. Just went about my business and it happened. It was one of those things where I stepped up and made the best of my situation."
(on how the defense has evolved) "Kam Chancellor, he wasn't healthy coming into the season, definitely and Bobby (Wagner) was hurt. Once we got those pieces back, (we got) a toughness presence maybe that we definitely missed without those guys. Kam Chancellor is a big leader out there. He is making plays and big hits out there, one after another. Bobby is the same way. He is key for the run defense. In the NFL, that is how you win. To win on defense you have to stop the run first and then make (your opponent) one-dimensional. Then everything happens from there."
(on the balance of Tom Brady's targets between Richard Sherman and himself) "It I something I don't really even think about to be honest with you."
(on the fact that he may be targeted much more than Sherman) "That is cool with me. I am in the game. I am in the flow of the game. Everything is good. I am getting the ball. It is one of those things - do it."
(on what he means by saying, ‘Do it') "Throw at me 90 percent of the time. That is cool. That is fun. I am going to get the ball. I am not even tripping on that. Please do that."
(on not having fear if Tom Brady throws to his side) "Why would I? No I don't."
(on the possibility of testing free agency) "Yeah, I am going to look at every option to see what is best for me and my family."
(on his background and where he played) "Defense. When I started in high school I just played defense."
(on the benefits from the experience he gained from last year's Super Bowl) "Just the whole experience. You went through it, so now you know what to expect. That is one of the things there is a certain comfort level when you have went through something and you go through it again."
CORNERBACK RICHARD SHERMAN
(on the police motorcycle escort for the teams and media during Super Bowl week) "I think at an event like the Super Bowl, they just want everything to go as planned. They don't want anything crazy to happen, so they want everybody to be safe. I think it would be a huge disaster if anything happened on the way to an event for media, our players or anything like that. I think the police officers out here are doing a great job, a fantastic job, escorting everybody and making sure everybody gets places safe. We haven't had any scares since I've been playing in this football league and that's been a blessing."
(on why Turnover Thursday is special and the importance of turnovers) "Thursday is special because (Head Coach) Pete (Carroll) emphasizes it, but we try to get turnovers every day. As you know, they are game changers. Pete, obviously, is a guy who emphasizes turnovers and keeps track of how many games you win when we won the turnover margin and what percentage of games are lost when you lose the turnover margin and things like that. It's a huge game changer, that's why our guys hunt the ball like we do. We're always ball aware. We're always looking for an opportunity to take the ball from our opponents, whether that's interceptions or forcing fumbles or stripping the ball. Whatever we can do to get the ball back to our offense. That's why we've been so successful on defense, I think, because of that ball-hawking mentality."
(on safety Kam Chancellor not being considered for Super Bowl MVP last year and if he flies under the radar because he is understated) "He doesn't fly under the radar on the field. Whether he flies on the radar off the field is up more to the media than it is us. He goes out there and makes huge impact week in and week out, and in the Super Bowl he made impact from the first play to the last play. I think he set the tone for the game on the second drive of the game. Once our offense got off the field, we got back on defense and when he hit (Denver wide receiver) Demaryius (Thomas), he set the tone for the entire game. That hit alone could have gotten him Super Bowl MVP. He should have got it. He made an interception. He made some crucial deflections. I think he could have easily walked away with Super Bowl MVP and I think he, once again, I've said this several times, but he should have been All Pro this year, first team, and I don't think it was even close. But obviously, hopefully next year he will get the recognition he deserves. But it's not something that he really cares about. He's a guy that's a consummate professional. He's a team-first guy. He does anything for his teammates and he's never looking for awards or recognition or things like that, although he deserves them very much."
(on if he agrees with back-to-back Super Bowl winners feeling more confident the second time) "Honestly, it's been similar. I think the advantage those guys have over what we have is we haven't won it yet. We haven't won the game. They won it, they were two-time Super Bowl champions. So we're confident. We're about the same as we were last year. We're a confident bunch. We believe in what we do. We believe in our system. We believe in our mentality, our philosophy, and we expect to go out there and execute. Whether that's enough to win the game or not is to be seen. But you have to be confident in these games. I'm sure they are confident and believe they are going to win the game as well. I think in order to make it this far in the NFL and make it to the final game, you have to always believe you're going to win. You have to believe you're going to win every game you go out there and play, and that's what allows you to play at such a high level and be so successful."
(on whether Denver quarterback Peyton Manning or New England quarterback Tom Brady is more difficult to prepare for) "I think that's a tough question to answer, honestly, because they are both incredibly tough to prepare for and they both present different issues. But they're also similar in the respect that they get the ball out fast and make great decisions. They are extremely accurate with the football. They rarely make mistakes. They have great supporting casts. The Patriots are very dynamic in their offensive approach and have great variety. So I'd say it's kind of a wash in that regard. I think if you're facing either one of them, you're in for a tough day."
(on the relationship between the NFL, the NFLPA and the players) "I think it's a working relationship. I think you're not going to win every battle, you're not going to agree on everything. But I think there is a respect level between the NFL and the NFLPA, and that's all you can really ask for in this situation. Obviously, they have certain things - their agenda - they want to accomplish and we have certain things that we want to get done for our guys. So at the end of the day, you really have two sides going against each other that have great respect for one another, but also have their own things they need to accomplish. Anytime you have a conflict of interest in that regard - conflicts - you're going to have disagreements. But I think there's a tremendous amount of respect."
(on if he is comfortable letting his son play football one day) "Oh, 100 percent, 100 percent. Football will be probably one of the first or second sports he plays, along with baseball and soccer and all the other fun sports. Because a lot of people talk about the negative aspects of football, and there are many, but there are also a lot of positives that you learn as a kid. I don't know too many Pop Warner, six- and seven- and eight-year-olds that are just full-speed running into each other and getting concussions, honestly. The kids aren't brave enough, honestly, at that point. They are so scared of running into each other and the kid being 10 pounds bigger than them or three inches taller than them. But football teaches you discipline and helps you develop a sense of leadership and courage and camaraderie amongst your friends and teammates. It also shows you how to work with the group, how to depend on one another, how to trust someone to do their job and how to be dependable, to do your job.
There are a lot of aspects of football that people don't talk about, and these are the things you learn and they are essential throughout your life. I don't know how social I would have been without football. I'm a pretty fun, easygoing guy, but I met a lot of my friends, especially early on, through football. I wasn't the coolest kid around, but I always had 20 or 30 friends because they were just on my team, and we spent so much time together. I think that's the thing that people never focus on when they're talking about football. You focus on the concussions - there are so many things that could happen in any number of sports. There are incredible injuries. I mean, basketball - there was the National Championship a couple of years ago, didn't a guy - his leg tore out of his skin. These things happen. Crazy injuries happen. Concussions happen. But there are also a lot of positives that come along with this game."
(on if NCAA student-athletes are given enough time to take advantage of their education) "Great question, I really appreciate that question. No, I don't think college athletes are given enough time to really take advantage of the free education that they're given, and it's frustrating because a lot of people get upset with student-athletes and say they're not focused on school and they're not taking advantage of the opportunity they're given. I would love for a regular student to have a student-athlete's schedule during the season for just one quarter or one semester and show me how you balance that.
Show me how you would schedule your classes when you can't schedule classes from 2-to-6 o'clock on any given day. Show me how you're going to get all your work done when after you get out at 7:30 or so, you've got a test the next day, you're dead tired from practice and you still have to study just as hard as everybody else every day and get all the same work done. Most of these kids are done with school, done with class by 3 o'clock, you've got the rest of the day to do as you please. You're may spend a few hours studying, then you may spend a few hours at the library checking out books and doing casual reading, and then you may go hang out with friends and have a coffee. When you're a student-athlete, you don't have that kind of time. You wake up in the morning, you have weights at this time. Then after weights you go to class and after class, you go maybe try to grab you a quick bite to eat. Then after you get your quick bite to eat, you go straight to meetings and after meetings, you've got practice and after practice, you've got to try to get all the work done you had throughout the day you've got from your lectures and from your focus groups. And those aren't the things that people focus on when talking about student-athletes. They are upset when a student-athlete says they need a little cash.
Well, I can tell you from experience, I had negative-40 bucks in my account. Usually my account was in the negative more time than it was in the positive. You've got to make decisions on whether you get gas for your car or whether you get a meal for the day. You've got one of the two choices. People think, ‘Oh, you're on scholarship.' They pay for your room and board, they pay for your education, but to their knowledge, you're there to play football. You're not on scholarship for school and it sounds crazy when a student-athlete says that, but that's those are the things coaches tell them every day: ‘You're not on scholarship for school.' Luckily, I was blessed to go to Stanford and a school that was primarily focused on academics, so it was a blessing.
It was a little bit better. As Jim Harbaugh would attest, we were also there for football. But there were still guys like Andrew (Luck) who majored in engineering, an incredibly tough road to take when you're in football, because a lot of the classes conflict with your time as a football player. You have an engineering class from 2 to 3:30, there's no way you can do both. You can't go to meetings and take your engineering class from 2 to 3:30, so what do you do? What do you do? Do you switch your major or do you tell your coach, ‘Hey, I've got an engineering class from 2 to 3:30 and I have to go to that.' That's a conflict of interest. That's what people don't realize. But it's not something that hurts the bottom line in a lot of people's lives, so I don't think it'll be something that will be addressed. But I appreciate the question."
DEFENSIVE END MICHAEL BENNETT
(on his decision to stay with Seattle) "Man, that's why I stayed because of being able to play in these types of games and just a chance to play on this team. I mean, this team is full of energy, full of super star, full of everybody who wants to be successful. I mean, money can't put a price on winning. I know a lot of guys who have made a lot of money and they are still upset that they can't be in this spotlight. Pro Bowls are one thing, MVP is one thing, but Super Bowl is a-whole-nother atmosphere. When you win a Super Bowl, you get so much notoriety and you get the chance to really be on a great team. Money just can't put a price on that."
(on the conversations he had with defensive tackle Kevin Williams to convince him to sign with Seattle) "The conversations with Kevin were just, I told him, ‘You've done everything you can possibly could do in the NFL. You've already been to six Pro Bowls, six All-Pros, as many sacks as you can, but you never got to the big game.' And I said, ‘Money can't really put a price on that. If you come in here, it can really solidify us having great depth at the defensive line. You might not start, but, man, you're going to get a lot of reps. How many more starts do you need?' Kevin, has made as much money as anybody in this league and for him to be in the Super Bowl right now just says a lot about him."
(on what Kevin Williams brings to the locker room) "I think he brings great veteran leadership and the ability to keep us poised in key situations. I think Kevin has played in every type of game he possibly can play in and now he's playing in the big game. I think he does a great job of keeping us level headed and his knowledge of the game is so far past all of ours it's just crazy."
(on the influence CF Hamilton Tiger-Cats Special Teams Coordinator Jeff Reinebold) "I mean, Jeff Reinebold he was one of the first people who ever saw me play football. He's one of the first coaches to come to my house, so I've been knowing Jeff for over 15-16 years now. We go way, way, way back. I mean, he knew my wife when we were in high school together. Even after he recruited me, anytime he was in Houston he stopped by my house and over the years he still stops by and it's kind of cool to get a chance to see him yesterday."
(on tying a mattress around a tree as a child to practice tackling) "Yeah, I used to tie a mattress around my tree when I was a kid and just did everything I could possibly do. I still do all that kind of stuff. I take my family to Hawaii while I train and they vacation and I just have a great time."
(on the energy at Seattle's practice) "I think the energy is the same. I think the energy is at a high level right now because we are always energetic because of the music, the vibe of the team and the coach that we have. I think that we continuously get prepared for the game the same way we always do. We treat every game exactly the same, whether we are playing in preseason, whether we are playing in the (toilet) bowl or whether we are playing in the Super Bowl. It's just pretty fun."
(on maintaining the top scoring defense the last three years) "I don't think there is any secret or anything. We just have the same type of guys who have the same type of attitude, which makes us successful. I think sometimes other team's guys get statistically driven to be at the top of the league and see who can get the most commercials and who can be a twitter guy, which is having the most twitter followers. But on our team, it's just guys who just want to be successful at playing football and want to do it the right way and play team football and not scared to make contact and really just want to be on a good team."
(on his relationship with brother and Chicago tight end Martellus Bennett) "I think me and my brother have a crazy relationship because we are so close. Our kids see each other quite often during the offseason. We spend all the time together we can. Our wives are best friends and we are best friends. My brother and I grew up doing everything together and we still do everything together. It was hard for me to come back to the Seahawks just for the simple fact that we have that kind of relationship. I almost felt like it was going to be a tear in me and my brother's relationship, but just after him being my brother and just saying, ‘Man, just do what you've got to do. I would love for you to play with me, but I understand you having something special in Seattle and I don't mind you staying there.' And that meant a lot to me and, you know, most brothers wouldn't say that. They would be selfish, but my brother was really selfless when it came to that aspect of the game."
(on Richard Sherman potentially missing the Super Bowl for the birth of his son) "Do you have kids? Do you know how important it is to your wife to be there for the kids? Well then, you understand and you answered your own question. I understand his mindset and I know his wife will tell him to just to come to the game after she has the baby because that's how wives' would want to do. They wouldn't want to put him in a bad situation, which is not really a bad situation to be there for your kid. I know the world would be on his back if he doesn't come to the game, but I think Sherm will make the right decision. I mean, it's only once in a life time you get to see your son born, but it's only once in a lifetime you get to be at the Super Bowl so it's a hard decision. I mean, had to make the decision back in college. I had a game and I ended up seeing my baby in the same day, but I ended up going to see my baby being born in the morning and got to the game at night, so it was a hard decision."
(on how much pride he takes on being a great run defender) "I love being a run defender. I think that's a part of the game that is going away because sacks mean so much to the fans and the media and that's usually how they pick their Pro Bowls, All-Pros and all that kind of stuff so guys tend not to give a care about the run. They tend to run up the field and try to get sacks, but you have to take pride in that because that's part of the most important thing about being on defensive line. You really can't let people run through you and to have the worst rushing defense would be an insult to the team. I take pride in being there and being where I'm supposed to be for the team because I am a team type of guy."
(on the challenges of facing New England running back LeGarrette Blount) "It's always a big challenge when you're playing against a running back with the talent of LeGarrette Blount. I've been knowing LeGarrette since I was in Tamapa. We came into the league at the same time and he's been a great, powerful back that can do so many things. I'm glad his dreads have got a lot longer because when he first came to Tampa his hair was really short, but now he has hang time on his dreads so that's pretty cool."
(on if it's interesting that defensive tackle Landon Cohen joined New England right before the playoffs) "No, it's not interesting. It's just how the NFL is. Landon used to play with me in Tampa, then he went to Detroit, then he went to Dallas, then he went to the Patriots, but that's just how the NFL is. When you are at the bottom it's just a hard grind. I think, sometimes the media and people don't really understand the grind of being at the bottom of the NFL. They tend to write stories about guys saying, ‘Oh, they are just mediocre,' but sometimes guys don't get their opportunities because of the way the game is made. I mean, if you talk about first round, second round picks, those guys are going to get more opportunities than guys who are lower on the totem pole. Landon has just been through the wrangler and for him to be in this, he deserves to be here. When you go through that grind it's just amazing and it's hard. I'm glad to see that he's here."
(on if he expects the Super Bowl to be a high scoring or low scoring game) "I expect it to be a low scoring game. I'm never going into a game as a defensive player and say, ‘It's going to be a high scoring game.' That would be an insult to Dan Quinn, Pete Carroll and the rest of my guys on defense. I expect it to be a low scoring game just like any other game we've played this season."
DEFENSIVE END O'BRIEN SCHOFIELD
(on the differences between last year's team and this year's team) "I honestly feel like the team is a little bit younger this year. We had a lot more younger guys play at the beginning of the year. We had some injuries with Bobby Wagner and Kam Chancellor and K.J. (Wright) and some of our backers. To get those guys back completely healthy is something special. I think everybody on this 53-man roster has had a time when they've contributed to a victory."
(on his status as a special teams player) "Oh, absolutely. I will be playing. I'll be spending a little time with Cliff (Avril). I'll be playing some nickel packages. So far, I think I'm only on punt team right now. I'll be playing somewhere between 20 and 25 snaps."
(on linebacker Malcolm Smith winning last year's Super Bowl MVP after playing 20-25 snaps) "He was a back-up, but when he got his opportunity, he capitalized on it."
(on if that gives him confidence that he can make an impact in Sunday's game) "Why not? That's definitely a conversation I've had. A lot of people have said that to me. If that happens, please come find me."<