Q & A with Joe Haden

[TheTodd]

Joe Haden came to Florida expecting to play wide receiver but when asked, he jumped at the chance to play corner. After a freshman season where there were the typical ups and downs, Haden is off to a tremendous start as the Gators begin their preparations for 2008. He has the look of a playmaker now, not the look of a kid trying to feel his way through each game. Gator Country caught up with him for a few minutes after practice Wednesday.

JEFF SQUIRES: Do you think the secondary is better than it was at this point last year?
JOE HADEN: Definitely. A whole lot better. It’s a whole different secondary [because of] experience. We know what’s going on. We’re not afraid to jump routes and we’re not afraid to play aggressive, and that’s what we’re doing now.

JS: Is the secondary going to be all right at the safety position due to the lack of depth?
JH: We’re not really worried about it. We’ve got Major [Wright] and he can play the whole game. He can do what he needs to do, and we’ve got Ahmad Black, Will Hill, T.J. [Lawrence] and them boys. Ahmad Black is doing real well, so confidence is up.

JS: Does the defense need to match the level of productivity of the offense?
JH: Definitely, because they held it down for us last year, so we just want to even it out. Then we can have a complete team.

JS: The defense forced 11 interceptions last year. Are you going to top that number?
JH: I’m looking for 11. Me and Wondy [Pierre-Louis] are looking for 11 each.

JS: What was the toughest workout your father made you do?
JH: I don’t even know—think every workout I did with my dad was hard…ever since 7th grade, all the way through my senior year.

JS: What’s it like being the oldest brother of a football family?
JH: It feels good, just trying to lead by example. I talk to my brother who plays at Boston College [Josh Haden] all the time about what he’s going through.

JS: What schools do younger brother and 2010 recruit Jordan like?
JH: He likes Florida a whole lot. He plays safety and outside linebacker. I talked to him earlier today. He likes it here and he also likes Illinois.

[a1bion]

Haden's going to be a player. I know he looked lost early last year, but you could see him progress through the year as he learned the position. Stopped thinking about what he needed to be doing and started going on instinct and reaction.