Oct. 6, 2000 Q: What was it like for you to be inducted into the Ohio State Hall of Fame? A: "It was a very exciting homecoming for me to go back and celebrate with an outstanding Hall of Fame class at the football game. It was fun to be a small part of it. I felt like it was an especially proud honor because my parents and a lot of my former teammates from both high school and college were able to join in on the celebration, so that made it extra special." Q: Talk about coming back to play in the new Bank of America Arena. A: "It will be a tremendous homecoming for us in just the sense that we have a state of the art, first-class, and absolutely the finest facility in the Pac-10. It is everything that as a player, a coach, or a fan, that you could ask for. It means the world to us because it was a great commitment from this university, the athletic department, and everyone who contributed to this incredible facility for our student-athletes. It is also an opportunity for us to showcase a great facility in recruiting and for our fans. They are going to like the opportunity to experience a new arena where every seat is outstanding." Q: What will the role be for the four new freshmen on the team? A: "It's hard to say how they will figure in for the season but I think right now the role of the freshmen is just to adjust to the rigors of college life, including academics and athletics. They are working hard to bring their conditioning, fitness, and strength levels up, where they can successfully compete every day in practice in order to improve and help the team." Q: What does new assistant coach Shimmy Gray bring to the staff? A: "Shimmy is a bright addition to the staff, she is someone who has got quite a bit of experience for how young she is. She played at the University of Michigan, which is a tremendous program. She also had the great opportunity to play professional ball and for Athletes In Action. Her two years as a police officer has prepared her well for the demands of coaching. I guess being a police officer in Michigan wasn't tough enough, so she had to join the coaching ranks. She brings some very valuable experience, great people skills, and she is knowledgeable about the game. We've already enjoyed quite a bit of her insight and input." Q: Where did the team go for their off-season retreat? A: "We went to Lake Chelan and had a great time. It was a chance for us to work on our team bonding. As new players join the fold it gives us an opportunity to get to know each other better. We did a lot of team enhancement exercises and were able to set our mission statement and goals for this year. But we also had a lot of fun going water-skiing, tubing, and cheering as loud as we could from Lake Chelan for our football team who was playing that weekend. It was a very valuable experience for us." |
