Pirates Put On Shoulder Pads, Hosts Annual Media Day
August 08, 2015 | Football
McNeill and Player Interviews l 
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GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Prior to holding its annual media activities Saturday afternoon, East Carolina returned to Hight Field inside the Cliff Moore Practice Complex and completed its third session of preseason camp donning shoulder pads for the first time.
With temperatures in the mid-80's under cloudy skies, sixth-year head coach Ruffin McNeill guided the Pirates through a near three-hour practice where fundamentals and execution continued to be the theme with emphasis on ball security.
The Pirates spent nearly 50 minutes total in seven-on-seven or team-on-team drills and 26 minutes on ball security. During breakout group sessions, the offense spent additional time in screen packages while the defensive secondary worked against potential scout team wide receivers.
During the afternoon, ECU held its annual media day event with approximately 30 members of national, state, regional and local newspaper, online, radio and television outlets gathered inside the Murphy Center to conduct player and coach interviews.
Twenty-three players were requested and McNeill gave his annual preseason state-of-the-team address before going through a question-and-answer session that included the following selected comments:
Opening Statement:
"We are excited to begin camp - that's probably an understatement, but whatever is more than excited, that is what we are. Personally, I am. I'm ready to put everything else to the side and just coach. The first day of camp went great. We wore shorts the first two days and put the pads on today. I get a chance to watch the best coaching staff I've ever been around, teach. They don't ask for anything. They get after it and teach. With the excitement of seeing the guys come through summer, and develop from spring until now, for me, that's always like watching a little colt grow into a fine racehorse. These first three days, I was able to step back, watch the guys and say thank you for the coaches I have. I couldn't ask for a better staff. They get it done. They teach at night. There is no idle yelling in coaching. It's all about teaching.
"The kids have approached camp in a way that was expected by all of us. Six years ago, I stood here and told you that we were going to build this program brick-by-brick and step-by-step. We're not going to microwave it. We were going to build it with a dedication to the team, first, last and always. The concept will not waver. Within that, everybody is embracing their role and understands their job. Everyone takes pride in doing everything they can to make the team better. We talk about positive effects and negative effects. Everyone is taught, recruited and hired to have a positive effect on their dedication to the team concept.
"Six years ago was also the dedication to stay focused on a mission and a vision, and not waver from that. Yes, we know the end of the season (Dec. 5) is a championship game for our conference, but what we said six years ago was to make sure we stay focused, stay in the moment and don't waver. We will stay here as a staff, group and as a team, and don't worry about Sunday's practice today. Let's worry about today. Go get your rest, let's have great meetings at 3 (o'clock), a great walkthrough and lift with Coach C (Connors) and meet tonight. Now, put that day behind us and go on to the next day. We're not talking about Towson or anyone else on our schedule yet because the one thing we can control is how we practice. That's the dedication to the mission and the vision -- to only worry about controlables -- and this group did that. The coaching staff has done a great job of keeping them there, too.
"We lost a great group of young men last year. Those guys were embedded in the program, laid a magnificent blueprint to our program and mold. Everyone learns differently -- abstract (or) concrete. They provided a visual example of how we want this program to run, how to conduct themselves on a daily basis and preparation. The thing you can control is how you prepare. We will miss those guys. They will always be a part of the family. They will always be my sons and those coaches' nephews. We keep in touch now. A lot of those guys are still in NFL camps and some of them have gone off into the business world. The family environment we have here is as strong as anything I've ever been around. That's not lip service when we talk about family environment. It's not coaching chatter. We mean that here and that's the key. Summer is where it's taught. That bond is what we need for what we are getting ready to partake upon.
"A great challenge for us as a program is having one of the toughest schedules around, and what a great opportunity it is for us, but the bonding began this summer and in fall camp. We do nothing all day but football. We spend all day together, 10-12 hours as a staff, group and with the guys, and it's one of the happiest times of the year for me. That bond and brotherhood that I talk about with our family has been entrenched into the program -- and it is beautiful to see.
"Each team is different. This team is still developing. They practice with great effort, which is demanded here. They don't do a lot of talking. They listen, which is demanded here. They understand competitive depth and competition is by design. So, to watch them practice and watch the guys coach them is beautiful to me. They have competed well every day, they play smart, I've seen encouragement and I've seen guys who have been through the program. I saw Isaiah (Jones), Davon (Grayson) and those guys on offense -- Zeek (Bigger) and up front, Johnathon White, and Trevon (Brown) -- those guys have been coaching, and that's what the brotherhood and bonding does.
"We had a really good practice today, our first in pads. With anything, execution is the one thing we will focus on. That comes with reps and days, but we know that. The guys went through it. They have to learn to play the next play. Some guys are now taking more reps than they have before, so their playing time is going to increase. Fundamentals are always big for us here. Those are things I say yearly, but that's how I was raised. And then, with the installs on special teams, offense and defense -- they have been smooth. Our meetings have been going well. We've been blessed with good weather. Coach Connors has done a magnificent job getting them ready to go as he always has since he's been here."
On Dave Nichol's Influence On The Offense:
"In the spring, you saw Nichol and his staff, like Rick (Smith), both of those guys are great at having been a coordinator. Some coordinators are not great at allowing their staff to coach and work. Nichol and Rick do a great job of depending on their staffs' that obviously do a great job with input. He has been in the offense since I've been in the offense, which is around 2000 when I was at Texas Tech. So he understands and has been known for his great development of players. Everywhere he's been, he's done a great job of developing players -- outside receivers and the same with our quarterbacks. I think the offense we run here is East Carolina's offense, but like I told Lincoln (Riley), add your own flavor to it, but the concept is there. The guys understand Nichol because he's been a part of it, so the transition was smooth.
"Brad (Davis) coming in was a big-time hire. He coaches the offensive line, but understands playing in the offense. He won a championship in this offense and beat me in this offense. I'm still mad about that right now. And then Garrett (Riley), at wide out, has been in this offense since he was 14 years old, so the transition has went well there. This staff does things to help one another. If Dave wants to see something from Rick then Rick provides it. If Rick or John (Wiley) wants to see something from the offense, they'll provide that. That's unusual."
On Depth At The Skill Positions:
"Donnie Kirkpatrick, our recruiting coordinator, does a really good job making sure we get the right kids and those guys are in camp. Those young guys we brought in and signed are competing, too. They're developing whether he's a walk-on (or not). We feel good about our depth. That's one of the things we never neglect, is having competitive depth. He may be on the second team, but he knows that the first teamer earned his position. If you're at the back right now, you can earn a starting position if you out-perform the person in front you. We never want to lose competitive depth. Those first three know they better go hard because there's another guy waiting for them. The next-man-up philosophy works here."
On Having The Conference Championship Game Available This Year:
"That's probably everybody's goal in our conference! I know the Big 12 got a lot of flack last year for having two really good football teams that did not have a conference championship game. Having an East and West division, we've been a part of it before as a university, so I think it's great to have. What we have now, the host team, it's a home game for that team. In the past it had to be a neutral site. I think it adds to our conference."
On Being Picked To Finish Fourth In The East Division In The American Conference:
"Well, it's preseason. Maybe it's nice for the fans, but I never get caught up in what somebody thought about me before. What we want to do is at the end. The focus of us is our team. We can't control how people think or vote, but we can think about how we prepare as a team and a staff. I think about those things we can control and that's preparation."
On Kurt Benkert's Development As A Leader And The Importance Of Offensive Chemistry:
"Dave (Nichol) has been around the quarterback development and competition. Dave has been doing a good job of monitoring every rep and every throw of each quarterback: Cody Keith, Blake Kemp and K.B. (Kurt Benkert). They're all handling it well, they're all competing well and all three of those guys understand the offense. All three are very smart. They're all team-first guys."
On How Having Most Of The Offensive Line Back Helps A New Quarterback:
"Don't get me wrong, I love our skill kids, but the key to our success is the up-front guys, offensively and defensively. The offensive line will be great. Brad (Davis) is one of the best I've been around coaching those guys up front. It helps with the run game, and the run game will help which ever quarterback emerges. But having older guys up front like J.T. (Boyd) and Ike (Harris) have to help you feel comfortable."
On Where Terrell Stanley Is On His Return From Injury:
"Terrell is a grown man. I'm glad he's back not for the football part, but to see 66 out there is big time. About the football part, T-Stan will be T-Stan. He's a very valuable part of our game plan and thought process. He's going to be fine. Coach (Marc) Yellock has a plan for each one of those guys up front. We have to be smart with Terrell. He hasn't competed in a year, so Marc is monitoring his reps that way. We've watched his steps, leverage and hands and I'm glad he's back."
On If Player Morale Is Different With The Addition Of Full-Cost Of Attendance Stipends:
"I don't think they'll really realize it until they receive it. Once we get through camp, my director of administration Dale Steele will set up a money management seminar class. The banks have volunteered to come over and help our kids understand managing their money. They're appreciative of it. Our kids have always had to scrap for everything because that's the East Carolina way, but for our kids here, I'm excited about that. For me, it's always about the student-athletes. Sometimes, as adults, we forget it's about the kids, but once you do that, it's time you get out of this business. Those kids are working hard and the ones who have committed and sacrificed, I'm proud of them. I'm happy we are able to provide that here for them."
On Having Offensive Lineman Christian Matau Available This Year:
"It's good to see Christian out and healthy. We love him on film. The conditioning part was big for him because when he had lower leg injuries, he didn't have the chance to condition. I'm looking forward to him developing."
On Having A Number Of Players On The Roster From Eastern North Carolina:
"Virginia Beach and Eastern North Carolina are big areas for us. To get those guys to stay close to home is great. What I realized as a player here, my mom and dad were able to come to every game. Not just their parents, but having a local name, people who have never bought season tickets will now buy season tickets to see those guys. Fans from their hometowns would come to the games, so I think that will happen here."
On If National Recruiting Has Become More Of An Open Competition Than In The Past:
"Because our staff is so diverse, that brings ties. That brings connections. The TV exposure we got last year was very, very helpful. I can't tell you how many times we got off a plane that someone saw our embroidery and knew exactly who we were - that helps. As a staff, we look for the right type of kid. We'll go wherever if they have not just ability, but fits in, understands the team concept and is willing to sacrifice selfishness. We'll go anywhere to get the guys who best fit our program. We want guys who will make the team great, rather than a great player. I love recruiting."
On When The Kicking Competition Will End:
"Not until someone earns it. Just like Nichol has quarterback charts, Kirk (Doll) does the same thing with our special teams with our snaps and kicks. Everything is charted. We're not going to rush it. If someone jumps out front and earns it, that will be the guy."
On The Depth Of The Receiving Core Despite Losing Justin Hardy And Cam Worthy:
"What goes into that is trust and verification of trust. That's I was taught and raised by Coach (Pat) Dye and Donnie Duncan, my mentor. We want people that fit this system and what we run here. I think it's a compliment to our success when we have coaches plucked from our program - for example Lincoln (Riley) at Oklahoma. He still texts me every day asking me, `How are we doing?' I say, `Linc, you're at OU bro.' That's how tied in he was here. The same thing goes with Brandon (Jones) at Cal.
"The hiring process and getting the right people in here is very important to me. I never knew if I'd be a head coach at all, but I knew if I did, I wanted to run this offense, having tried to defend it for 10 years. I knew what type of environment I wanted. Everyone in that suite understands trust and the verification of trust. Zico Pasut said, `Be selfishly unselfish' about the program. Wake up every day and make the program better. How do I advance it? How do I give us an advantage? What makes us better? The transition was by making sure the right staff of guys was here and then this offense attracts people who want to be a part of it with what it does quarterback-wise, receiver-wise and development-wise. The kids are a big part, too. They have to have a coach-me-coach attitude. Let us coach you, and these guys do. If it's a young guy and an older guy sees him not paying attention, they will straighten him before we do, which is cool to see."
On Which Newcomers Have Caught His Attention So Far:
"All of them. They have all done a great job. I just like the way they have handled themselves. There are two types of transitions for a new guy. There's the academic transition and there's a physical transition. Now with our coaches being able to go out there and do things without a football for 30 or 40 minutes during the summer, that helps that transition."
Up Next:
Sunday's Practice Time: 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Season Opener: Sept. 5 vs. Towson in Greenville (6 p.m. ET)
