James Farrior Press Conference Transcript Wednesday February 2nd Super Bowl XLV
QUOTES FROM PITTSBURGH STEELERS PRESS CONFERENCE
STEELERS LINEBACKER JAMES FARRIOR
(on how he decides what to say to the team before games) “It’s tough sometimes, but I just figure if I do it off the top of my head – I really don’t remember what I said the week before anyway, so…”
(on when he started giving pre-game speeches) “I guess when Joey (Porter) left. We needed somebody to get the group up because he was gone. He’d always done it when he was there, so after he left, I got anointed to be the one.”
(on who decided he should give pre-game speeches) “My teammates gave it to me, all of them. Nobody wanted to do it and they were like, ‘You’ve got to do it.’”
(on being quieter when he played in New York) “When I was in New York, I had a lot of older guys, especially at linebacker. I had Mo Lewis, Marvin Jones, Brian Cox, and those guys were sort of the leaders on the team.”
(on his time in New York) “It was another time period. I really don’t think about it too much anymore. I enjoyed my time when I was there, but this feels like home to me.”
(on if he has a favorite speech that he’s given) “It’s a couple of them I remember. I can’t remember what I said, but my teammates gave me the stamp of approval, and they were like, ‘That was a good one.’ They usually tell me when it’s good or bad.”
(on if he acts differently in the locker room than he does when addressing media) “Yeah, it’s totally different than what I am now when I’m talking to you guys. It’s pretty intense. It’s definitely intense. It’s a lot more moving around, a lot more talking than I usually do.”
(on Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin saying the defenses of the Steelers and Packers aren’t very similar) “I could agree with Coach Tomlin. I think we run some of the same things, but I don’t think that their defense really compares to ours. It’s two totally different styles, even though we run the same defense.”
(on how much last year’s game against the Packers factors into their preparation) “I’ve looked at it. I think everybody’s pretty much looked at that game. We looked bad out there, I’ll tell you that. We didn’t play as well as I thought we could have played. I think we made a lot of mistakes that game and those guys took advantage of it. It was a high-scoring game. I think we’re a better team. A better team, a better defense. I think we’re able to make some of the plays that we couldn’t make the last time we played those guys.”
(on what Tomlin does well) “I think one of the things that really goes unnoticed is he’s a good motivator. I think he really gets guys to believe in his philosophies and the way he’s doing things. He’s a great talker. He’s a great orator. I think he’s one of the best coaches to get you fired up, get you in the right frame of mind to go out and play a good game.”
(on playing against Tomlin in college) “It might have been my sophomore year. I think he was a senior. I don’t know if he tackled me or not, but he definitely said I stepped in front of him to get an interception. I wish I would have known that he was going to be the head coach. I would have thought about him a little differently in that game.”
(on Pittsburgh being the right fit for him) “I feel like it was definitely a perfect fit for me. I didn’t really enjoy playing outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense when I was with the Jets. It was kind of tough for me. It was kind of new for me. I like being off the ball and being in space and being able to read things. Being an outside linebacker, you’re taking on somebody as soon as the play snaps, so that was a little different for me. It took me a little while to adjust to it, but I definitely think this is a better fit for me.”
(on if he ever spoke with the Jets about playing out of position) “No. We never really had a conversation about it. They had me where they had me, and I just had to learn how to do it.”
(on if Tomlin gets the credit he deserves) “I don’t think so. I don’t know if I’ve heard his name mentioned as being up there with Coach of the Year, and I definitely think he deserves it for what we had to go through in the beginning of the season and how he handled the James Harrison situation with the fines and everything. We had a lot of obstacles we had to overcome during the season, and he kept the group together and we’re here right now.”
(on if there’s something Tomlin has said to him that particularly stands out) “One of his famous quotes is, ‘The standard is the standard.’ I think that’s something that all of the guys really believe. I think we all accepted that part of it, and we really feel like when somebody’s injured or somebody’s out, the next guy is supposed to come in and step up and not really have any drop off. Even though they might not be the same player, you’re still supposed to play at a high level.”
(on if he wondered where his career was going to go after he left New York) “Yeah, because I think I might have signed in late April, so I was out on the street for a while and really didn’t know where I was going to be playing next. It was kind of nerve-wracking for a little bit, but once I got settled in and signed with Pittsburgh, the rest is history.”
(on if he ever imagined that he’d achieve so much with Pittsburgh) “Not really. This will be my third Super Bowl, and I definitely never thought I would have this opportunity. I really didn’t know where my career was going. I was a free agent and really didn’t know what team I was going to sign for. The only thing I was thinking about was just being on somebody’s team and playing football. I never even dreamed about being in my third Super Bowl.”
(on how much of a better player he is now) “I think I’m a lot better player now. I think that the years of experience being in the same system for a while, not really having to change. In New York I went through three head coaches. That was a little bit different for me.”
(On if the Steelers should be called “America’s Team” over the Cowboys) “I definitely think it’s debatable. I definitely think it’s an argument there for the Steeler fans, the way we travel, and the support that we get from everybody around the country. I can remember we played Dallas in 2004, I believe it was, and we had just as many fans as they did. That really surprised me and shocked me, because America’s Team, that stadium is supposed to be full of Dallas fans.
(on if the team has to be ready for the Packers first 15 plays) “That’s something we’re preparing for. We know they’re going to script the first 15 plays, and they’ll be going at a fast pace. We’ll definitely have to be ready for whatever they’re going to do. They’re going to come out and run a lot of different formations, a lot of different plays, and we’ve just got to be ready for it.”
