Q&A w/ Deonte Thompson
Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 7:44 pm
The Gators' wide receiving group is about to get even scarier. The emergence of Deonte Thompson in the first week of spring practice has made his stand out to eventually become one of the team's elite targets in the fall.
Q: “How much does it help you to have guys like Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy to look up to?”
A: “I look up to them every day. I see Percy do a move and I come back on the next play and want to try that move. Murph keeps me set technique wise. We learn from Percy. That’s how Bubba Caldwell was last season. I learned a lot from him. A lot of the things I do now I learned from (Bubba).”
Q: “What’d you learn last year during your redshirt season?”
A: “I saw how to become a better player by watching the older guys. When I came out here I didn’t know the offense much, but I’ve got it down. That’s probably the biggest thing. Coming out of high school, you just run past people. In college, you’ve got to read defenses.”
Q: “After Urban said you would play last year a few weekends and you didn’t play, it was obviously hard, but do you feel like the redshirt was good for you?”
A: “It was the best thing that ever could have happened. I wanted to play, but it’s always for the better. It made me become a better football player technique-wise. I was fast, but I learned my techniques and routes.”
Q: “Do you feel like last year would have been a wasted year if you played one game?”
A: “To play one game or two catches for the season is a wasted year. To come back still a freshman, I’ve got big things set up for this year.”
Q: “After sitting last year, how refreshing is it to come out and play like you have?”
A: “It’s real good. I want it this year. I’ve got to have it. I sat out last year and wanted to play so bad. Now it’s my turn. I can’t let it slip.”
Q: “Will you have that conversation with Janoris Jenkins about coming in and sometimes sitting on the bench?”
A: “Yeah, I just tell him to come on out here and go hard every day. I tell him to do what he’s doing, because he’s doing a real good job right now. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’ll play. He’s having a pretty good spring so far.”
Q: “What do you feel like you have left to prove to win your spot in the wide receiver rotation?”
A: “Coach always says effort. I want to go as hard as I can go. That’s all he wants to see. I’ve just got to keep with what I’m doing.”
Q: “How hard is it to stand out with so many talented receivers?”
A: “That’s the competition level. You’ve got to step your game up higher than the next man.”
Q: “How much does it help you to have guys like Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy to look up to?”
A: “I look up to them every day. I see Percy do a move and I come back on the next play and want to try that move. Murph keeps me set technique wise. We learn from Percy. That’s how Bubba Caldwell was last season. I learned a lot from him. A lot of the things I do now I learned from (Bubba).”
Q: “What’d you learn last year during your redshirt season?”
A: “I saw how to become a better player by watching the older guys. When I came out here I didn’t know the offense much, but I’ve got it down. That’s probably the biggest thing. Coming out of high school, you just run past people. In college, you’ve got to read defenses.”
Q: “After Urban said you would play last year a few weekends and you didn’t play, it was obviously hard, but do you feel like the redshirt was good for you?”
A: “It was the best thing that ever could have happened. I wanted to play, but it’s always for the better. It made me become a better football player technique-wise. I was fast, but I learned my techniques and routes.”
Q: “Do you feel like last year would have been a wasted year if you played one game?”
A: “To play one game or two catches for the season is a wasted year. To come back still a freshman, I’ve got big things set up for this year.”
Q: “After sitting last year, how refreshing is it to come out and play like you have?”
A: “It’s real good. I want it this year. I’ve got to have it. I sat out last year and wanted to play so bad. Now it’s my turn. I can’t let it slip.”
Q: “Will you have that conversation with Janoris Jenkins about coming in and sometimes sitting on the bench?”
A: “Yeah, I just tell him to come on out here and go hard every day. I tell him to do what he’s doing, because he’s doing a real good job right now. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’ll play. He’s having a pretty good spring so far.”
Q: “What do you feel like you have left to prove to win your spot in the wide receiver rotation?”
A: “Coach always says effort. I want to go as hard as I can go. That’s all he wants to see. I’ve just got to keep with what I’m doing.”
Q: “How hard is it to stand out with so many talented receivers?”
A: “That’s the competition level. You’ve got to step your game up higher than the next man.”