Instant Interview Replay: Jerry Odom

Instant Interview Replay: Jerry Odom

11/18/2003

GREENVILLE, N.C. -- East Carolina University defensive coordinator Jerry Odom joined ECUpirates.com for a live Instant Interview on Tuesday morning. Following is the complete transcript of his responses from the live chat session.

JBeasley : Please comment on the play of Guy Whimper and the defensive line as a whole against USF. It looked to me like they really stepped up, especially Guy.
Jerry Odom : I Thought the D-line as a whole played pretty well. It was probably one of the best games that we've played all year. Guy is getting better everyday. He was really raw when we got here and is a kid that makes an effort to get better everyday.

Beasley : What are you planning on doing to contain Mewelde Moore (if he can play) and JP Losman?
Jerry Odom : We don't know whether Moore will play or not, so we have to get better for the scheme more than the player. The Losman kid is an excellent QB. He's got good feet and a strong arm and runs pretty well. We have to be good on first down and put ourselves in good situations. Whether that means being aggressive or playing more coverage, I'd rather not say right now. But we need to get them in long-yardage situations and it gives us more options. Like I say every week, we've got to stop the run to win.

Adam : Coach, how is recruiting going so far? I heard D-line was the hardest postion to recruit. How do are outlooks on signing good d-linemen look. Do we have any committments yet at this position?
Jerry Odom : We can't talk specifics about recruiting, names, locations, etc. But I think it's going pretty well. We are on a number of good D-lineman and you're right, it's one of the hardest postions to recruit. But, we have needs everywhere right now that we need to try and fill.

Jason : Can you comment on Erode Jean and the progress he has made so far this season?
Jerry Odom : Erode has done a nice job for us. He's a young kid that has been put in a tough situation. You're out there on an island sometimes and there's no one to protect you. He's a tough guy who will keep getting better. He's really tried to rise to the occasion everytime he's out there. He's a smart football player and that's also a plus.

PIR8FAN : Hey Coach, I hope you are doing well this morning and I hope that the team had some good rest this past week. What has the coaching staff done this week to help the team grow either on the field or in recruiting for next year?
Jerry Odom : Last week, we practiced three times and got after it pretty good. We tried to be as physical as we could be so we could work fundamentals. Then, a number of us coaches went out recruiting. There hasn't been a whole lot of rest from a coaching staff point of view. We had a couple guys visiting from junior colleges when we got back and then finished getting ready for Tulane. It's been quite a busy week and a half.

Mike Hunt : Where does Chris Moore rank among the defensive players you've coached?
Jerry Odom : Chris is a very active player. He's very, very productive. He's up there somewhere. I'm fortunate to have coached a lot of linebackers that are playing in the NFL right now. One of the things I'd like Chris to get better in is his knowledge of the game and to be able to take on more responsibility in being a vocal leader for this team and understand what formations and personnel groups mean to him on a down-to-down basis.

BoneyJon : I'm really pleased our improvement. We tackle better and we play hard. Can we recruit bigger linebackers and taller corners? Do taller corners exist? Thanks for your hard work!
Jerry Odom : I think that our LBs are small as compared to some around the league. Obviously, we are making some strides and getting a little better with those guys, but you're always striving to get bigger and better. Taller corners do exist but they're not always easy to find. You're always looking for the guy that's 5-11 to 6-1 if you can find them. But it's no guarantee that if you're tall that you're going to be a great corner.

JBeasley : Can you tell us about that playcall that brought Erode on that blitz that caused a fumble?
Jerry Odom : All that is is a little way to create a four-man front by bring the corner. They were sliding their protection away to the field and Erode did a nice job selling that he was playing bump coverage. He was actually a half step later than I'd like him to be. That was a huge play and the turnaround that we were looking for to give us a chance to win the game.

Keng : Who'll be the permanent starter at WLB between Stephens, Chilsom, and Johnson?
Jerry Odom : There is no permanent starter. They all will play and split time until one guy steps up and is better than the other guy. Right now, we're getting production from all three in different ways and competition makes everybody better.

Matt from Raleigh : Coach, You have the reputation of a strong recruiter down in Florida. How are things going down there so far this year?
Jerry Odom : Things are going well in Florida. ECU has been received very well all around the state. Matt Graves is doing an excellent job there. Rick Stockstill has great connections down there. Steve Janski is doing a good job in Miami. Lonnie Galloway is doing a good job on the west coast of Florida. I think there's a good chance that we can get some good players coming our way, but sometimes it's all in the roll of the dice.

PirateFOOTBALL : Hi Coach Odom, first off i want to congradulate you on doing such a great job with our defense this year. I know it is difficult to come into a program and have to teach everyone a new defense without having anyone know the system. The question i have is, i have notice the CB's biting a lot on pass fakes and being burned for touchdowns when they count the most in the game. What are you doing to try to correct this problem? Thanks!
Jerry Odom : Sometimes, it looks like the CB's guy and it may not be. Several times this year, it's been the safety's guy that's made the big play. Sometimes those guys take unneeded blame because the guy that people think is responsible may not be. When we have gotten beat deep, it's more of a case of not working the proper technique -- backpedaling, being too high, not getting your hands up on press coverage. Those are the kinds of things you work on everyday and Coach Graves is doing a good job of getting them better at that.

ecufootball22 : Coach, I know one of the most important aspects of the defensive side of the game is to play hard and never take a play off, what kinds of things as a coach do you do in practice to instill this mentality in the players. Keep up the good work I know that the wins will come and let the players know how proud of them we are.
Jerry Odom : I think it's an attitude that you have to reflect as a player and as a coach everyday. Our guys have to run to the ball everyday in practice and finish the play no matter where it is. We really talk about finishing the play because if you get 11 players around the ball, good things will happen. We've tried hard to instill in our players that you do your job and you go to the ball.

Wilmington Pirate : Coach, it appears that we have come miles since that first game on your side of the ball. Can you talk a little about who is coming back next year, your redshirts, and what you are expecting for our defense in the future. Thanks for the work you are doing for us.
Jerry Odom : I think defensively, we have come a ways but we still have a ways to go. The nice thing is, by playing so many young guys int he secondary, we will have them all back for a couple of years. I expect Erode Jean, Kasey Ross, Kyle Chase, and Mickey McCoy to all be stalwarts there next year. I expect Pierre Parker and Tommie Bradley to come in and make an impact. At linebacker, we only graduate one guy, Kent Nealy, who's been a steady guy for us. I think Eric Johnson has a chance to be a good player. Dashaun Stephens has come a long way. Eric Butler's a steady guy. I'd really like to see what a healthy Chris Moore can do. On the D-line, we lose a couple big guys, but we do have coming back Guy Whimper Shauntae Hunt, who could develop as inside guys, Dontre Brown who is already down inside, and some of our redshirt guys who have a chance to get some early playing time, or maybe a juco guy. Ike Emodi is the type of speed athlete we need on the edge. We're just going keep working with those guys and getting them better everyday.

Matt from Raleigh : Coach Odom, First off, I wold like to commend you on the game your defense played against USF. It was without a doubt our defense's best outing of the year. As the season drags on, it is easy to recognize the improvement that has taken place. Keep up the good work. You have two true fresmen starting at corner back (Jean & Ross). How do you feel about their futures at their position?
Jerry Odom : We said earlier that those guys have a chance to be very good players. Kasey is taller and lankier but has to learn to player lower, believe it or not. He's giving us everything he's got. Erode is not super-tall, but he is physical and he's tough and is one of the smarter ball players I've been around for his age. I'm happy with those guys and think they give us the best chance to win right now.

ECUpirates.com : That's all the time we have for this morning. Thanks for joining us, Coach. Any closing comments?
Jerry Odom : Thank you for having me. I appreciate all the support of the Pirate fans. You guys are great and have stuck with us and have shown your appreciation for us, working and playing for East Carolina, as much as we appreciate you. Hope to see everyone at the final home game on Nov. 29!

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