 |
| Tom O'Brien |
Tom O'Brien Chat Wrap
What's the latest scoop on BC football? As his team heads into spring practice, Boston College Football Coach Tom O'Brien answered your questions on Monday, March 20. Below is a complete transcript of the chat.
|
 |
| Moderator: Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining today's live chat with BC Head Football Coach Tom O'Brien.
It's an exciting time at The Heights with men's basketball, women's basketball and men's ice hockey still in the hunt for a national championship. But also this week, spring football practice will begin.
Spring drills will culminate with the annual Jay McGillis Spring Football Game on Saturday, April 22 in Alumni Stadium.
Coach O'Brien will now answer your questions. |
|
| Henry Walsh - Yarmouth, MA: Hi Coach:
How do you project the RB situation next season?
Good luck eagles!! |
 |
 |
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: This should be a position of strength for us heading into fall. In spring practice, L.V. Whitworth and Andre Callender will continue their competition. When you add A.J. Brooks to the mix, spring will be a great time to see who will come out of the pack as the starter as we head into fall practice. It's a good situation for us. We look forward to the competition we have at running back this spring. |
|
|
| John (Boston): Two years ago Maine went down to (SEC) Mississippi State and won. Last season they went to Nebraska and held the Cornhuskers to 9 points in the first half.
Even though Maine is a I-AA team how concerned are you about this game?
|
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: We will be very concerned about Maine. They have showed they're able to go on the road and play against Division I teams. The reason we're bringing Maine and the other New England schools into Alumni Stadium is that, with the addition of the 12th game, it gives us a chance to get a seventh home game. It also gives Maine a chance to play a Division I game without going across the country. We would like to maintain our presence within the Northeast. Here we have a team that will give us another home game and create a situation that's good for New England football. |
|
|
| Dan - Amherst , NH: Some key players have been lost in the offensive line and wide receiver positions have been lost what is the current state of the two positions??? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: These will be two positions of concern this spring. Right now there are a couple of different scenarios involving the offensive line. We may move some guys around. The key is to come out with the best five players on the offensive line. Right now, the wide receiver position is obviously a concern for us. When you lose Blackmon and Lester, who combined for 88 catches for us, that's a lot of catches to make up. But the great thing about spring drills is someone has a chance to step up and make plays and earn a spot. That's one of the things we have to work through in spring practice. |
|
|
| Jake (Boston, Mass.): Coach O'Brien,
You have perhaps the best returning offensive lineman in the ACC in Josh Beekman. Are there any thoughts on switching him to center? How hard is a position switch in the senior year, like Will Blackmon in 2005? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: It was much more difficult for Will to make the switch from DB to wide receiver. He was a great contributor to our success this past year. It would be much easier for Josh to switch to center. We don't intend to do that at the start of spring practice, but that's something that's still on the table. If the scenario of another starting center doesn't work out, the thought of moving Josh might happen. |
|
|
| Erik (Brighton, MA): Why do you feel Kiwi's stock has dropped heading into the NFL draft? It seems that the 3 other prospects (Ross, Trueblood, and Blackmon) have really increased theirs. |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: From my conversations with NFL personnel people and coaches, I don't believe his stock has dropped. I don't know where this information is coming from. I believe his stock has stayed the same or actually gotten better. Come draft day, nobody knows what will happen. No matter who takes Kiwi, they're going to get a great player and a great person. |
|
|
| paul boston: coach two things concern me going into this season the de position and i believe the lack of speed in the receiving group the inability to stretch the field that being said i want to thank you for the outstanding job you have done at bc |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: We have already addressed the wide receiver position, that definitely is a concern. I understand your concern about the defensive end position. When you lose a guy like Kiwi, that will be a tough thing for us to make up. I think the major concern for us in the front seven is that they are all underclassmen. We'll look to spring to see where our leadership comes from. Spring is about finding guys to step into spots. It's now their opportunity to play. We're excited to see which of those individuals are ready to step up and be starters. |
|
|
| Melissa (Memphis): This years recruit class is comprised of a large number of New England athletes (I believe more than any other class in the TOB era). To what do you attribute this phenomenon? Do you feel the level of talent in NE has improved, have you and your staff done a better job keeping local talent home, was this year a fluke in terms of local talent, or it is something else all together.
Thanks and Go Eagles! |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: We were very fortunate that there were a large number of recruits in New England this year, more so than in my 10 years of recruiting here. There is good local talent, and they were academically qualified to play for us. They wanted to stay home and play nearby. I would hope that every year we would be able to recruit a number of kids from New England to come play for us. We'll have to see how it goes, but that's obviously a great situation for us, to be able to have home-grown talent. |
|
|
| Rich New Haven: Do you see any improvement in team speed with the current recruiting class? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I believe this recruiting class has a great amount of speed in it. Not only speed at the skill positions, but speed at all positions. Guys we project to be offensive and defensive linemen, linebackers, tight ends, all positions. Hopefully that will come to fruition when they report to camp in August. Some of them will have to help us in the fall. |
|
|
| Granby, CT: Coach,
My brother-in-law, a misguided FSU fan thinks that BC will have to greatly enlarge Alumni Stadium to increase revenues and stay competitive in the ACC. Any plans towards this end (and are the neighbors getting restless)? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I don't believe at this time there are any plans to enlarge Alumni Stadium, or if that's what it would take to remain competitive in the ACC. I'm sure if those things need to happen, our administration would handle those discussions. |
|
|
| Brad B (Charlottesville, Va): Obviously Matt Ryan is the starter heading into next year. How do you plan to get backup Chris Crane real game time experience? Will you bring back the 2nd quarter experiment? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I think it will be important for us to give Chris Crane some work. I don't know right now if we will bring back the second-quarter experiment. If you look back to the last 3 seasons, each year we've had a quarterback go down and another one has had to come in and play. It's important to have another one ready to play. Hopefully Matt will stay healthy and be able to lead the team all year, but we are very excited about Chris Crane and the talent he brings to our football team. |
|
|
| ewingz (Yorkville): Why do we always defer the kickoff when winning the coin toss? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: We would like to have the ball in the second half because in most football games there's an odd number of possessions. The key is, if there is an odd number of possessions, we would have the ball last, whether it's a situation where we have the ball last to win the football game or we need to put a drive together to win the football game. |
|
|
| Tennis (Atlanta, Ga): Over the last 2 years we have started recruiting with a fast start, but finished poorly? Why do we seem to strike out with prospects in January and February? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Obviously it is easier for us to recruit in Boston in the summer and the fall than in the winter months of January and February. The weather has some effect. The kids we have lost, in the end, we have lost to top ten and top five teams in the country. We'll consistently work to make ourselves a better finishing team than we are a starting team in recruiting. |
|
|
| Mark (Woodstock, VT): Is the date set for the Jay McGillis spring scrimmage? I attended 2 years ago and met you and several other coaches and players. Enjoyable scrimmage and a fun day. Good luck to the Eagles in 2006. |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Yes, the afternoon of April 22 will feature Fan Fest and the spring game. |
|
|
| Boston: How can you say that the "cupboards were bare" when you arrived when there were more players to go on to the NFL in your first couple years than have since? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I'm not sure when I said the cupboards were bare, but if I did, I meant that we've always had great football players who went on to great professional careers. What we were missing was those good football players who make a solid program. We did not have enough of those good players who were not going to go on to NFL careers but would do enough for us on the field and off the field to make us a competitive program. |
|
|
| Holliston: What is the greatest area of improvement the team has to make for the 2006 season? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I think the first thing we have to do this spring is replace the tremendous players we lost this year We have an opportunity to have four players drafted, so the first thing we have to do is replace those players. We must replace the experience we lost in guys like Ray Henderson and Pat Ross. Those are the kinds of positional issues we need to address in the spring. Then we need to try to match the ACC in speed which, hopefully with recruiting and our out-of-season programs, will come to fruition. We hope to continue to get bigger and stronger. |
|
|
| Philadelphia, PA: Coach - congrats on a great first season in the ACC. My question - all the kids recruited by BC and other D1 programs are studs in high school. What is the biggest challenge to them beind successful at the next level and what separates those that are from those who flounder? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I think what separates the great players from those who want to be great has to do with the off-field activities such as strength training. They continually work much harder off the field than others do, which then gives them a better opportunity to succeed on the field. Then sometimes you just can't measure the heart of an individual. Those guys with a greater desire, who spend more time in the tape room, in the weight room, that's what separates those guys from the others. |
|
|
| steve woburn: Will Mike McLaughlin see a lot of playing time this year? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I don't have any idea how much time Mike will see, but I know the coaching staff is excited about what they have seen of him. We look forward to coaching him this spring. He will get as much time on the football field as he earns on the practice field this year. |
|
|
| marcus wellman, monroe: is ryan glasper the best defensive back on the team this year? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I'm not sure he's the best, but I know he's the most experienced. We like what we have seen out of Jamie Silva and also DeJuan Tribble. This is a huge spring for Ryan and everyone in the defensive backfield. We have to replace Jazzmen Williams. Ryan has worked extremely hard on and off the field. Hopefully by this time next year you can say, and I can say, that he was the best defensive back on the 2006 team. |
|
|
| Tom (Vernon, CT): Do you believe that BC can win a national championship at some point? Is that your goal or is your goal to simply be competitive and get to a bowl game? Thanks a lot and let's get over the hump! Go BC! |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: When I first came here, I said our goal was to become champions in the classroom, champions in the community and champions on the football field. We have won the championship in the classroom and we had the highest APR of any of the ranked programs this past year. Our goal is to win the national championship on the field, but the first thing we have to do is win the ACC championship. If we do that, we should have the opportunity to play for a national championship someday. |
|
|
| Alex from Barnstable: Are there any fresham whom you expect to make an immediate impact? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I'm sure some freshmen will come in and make an impact next year. Who they are right now, I can't pinpoint that. Once we complete spring practice and find out what we have on this team, we'll see. I tell all freshmen they have the opportunity to come in and make the football team, but some spots will be more open than others. We'll find that out in spring practice. |
|
|
| Pete Guillemette: Coach: You thoughts on recruit Dominic Magazu from Charlotte,NC Son of former OL coach Dave |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I'm sorry, but due to NCAA regulations, I am unable to comment on any prospect. As we go through these chats, those questions are best left unanswered. |
|
|
| Greg (West Hartford, CT): Has Justin Bell recovered from his season ending injury last year, and, if so, will he play either tackle or defensive end?
Thank-you |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Justin has not been cleared to participate in spring practice. He's still rehabbing his Achilles injury. Hopefully he will be able to return in the fall. Right now, he looks to be more of an inside player for us. |
|
|
| Mike Batt, Roslindale: Coach, I was really impressed with Jolon Dunbar's play at LB in limited action. He seems to have the one attribute that can't be taught, good instincts. Also, he really packs a wallop when he tackles. Your linebacker coach is doing a tremendous job. How much action will he see this year and where do you envision him this year at the Mike, Will, or Sam position? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I was really impressed with Jolonn's play last year also. When he got the opportunity to start, he did a tremendous job. Right now, we project him to be at middle linebacker, where he backed up Ray Henderson for a couple of year. It's the most important position of the front seven. I agree with you that Bill McGovern has done a tremendous job with our linebackers. I'm very fortunate to have one of the top staffs, if not the top staff, in the ACC. I think our coaches do a great job with all our kids, and we're lucky to have them here at Boston College. |
|
|
| David(Brunswick, ME): Coach,
I'm an active duty navy guy who has spent lots of time forward deployed in the lovely middle east. I love BC football, what can i do to help the program
Thanks
PO1 David Alm
djalmy@aol.com
|
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Thank you for your service to our country. We are very fortunate to have Eagle fans such as yourself. The best thing you can do is, that when you get the opportunity to come home, get to Alumni Stadium early and cheer the Eagles on, because the team would love to have support from someone like you. |
|
|
| John (Arlington, VA): For home games, unfortunately, a large portion of our fans seem to always file into Alumni late/after kickoff.
Do you notice a difference in your players' energy level when taking the field with Alumni partially full vs. completely full, as it was for the Florida State game? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I know the team has a different feeling when it runs into Alumni Stadium and it's full, with enthusiasm for Florida State or Notre Dame. It's one thing that can help this program and it's something the team has noticed in its travels in the ACC. We went to Clemson, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Maryland. Each one of those games was a sellout. Each fan base was there at kickoff and very enthusiastic about supporting their teams. That's one thing we have to step up to now that we are in the ACC. |
|
|
| Newport Beach, CA: Coach, why do you minimize the use of a fullback in your offense? It seems that other schools utilize the fullback in the running game and passing game. Do you ever run fullback traps or fullback screens? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: We have not minimized the use of the fullback in our offense. He has not been a feature in the running game; he has been primarily a receiver and blocker for us. We discuss the opportunity to put in a fullback run every spring. We've been fortunate that we have had some very talented tailbacks here, and when the vote comes to handing the ball to our fullback or one of our tailbacks, the vote always comes out in favor of the tailback. I don't know what the future holds, but maybe we will give the fullback the opportunity to carry the ball down the road. |
|
|
| Rocco, NYC: How is Brian Toal progressing this off season from his late season injury? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: I don't think Brian is necessarily 100% right now, but he's much better than he was in the bowl game. The injury takes a while to recover from. He is fit enough to participate in spring practice. The most important thing for everyone in spring practice is fundamentals. He's obviously a very important part of our defense and our short-yardage goal-line package. Hopefully he will get back to 100% and improve himself this spring. |
|
|
| Matt (Providence): Coach, why don't you ever run a toss play. With the speed of the defenses in the ACC, it seems that a toss would help your backs get to the edge more quickly. The run plays seem to develop quite slow against the speed defenses. |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: My past experience with the ACC and then again this year is that, with speed defenses, once you toss the ball, they know where the ball is going and they run you down too fast. What we run is basically a bounce play where we try to hold back the linebackers to the inside and bounce the play to the outside. That's been one of our most successful plays through the years and that's where we will concentrate our efforts, to get outside. The other way we have gotten the ball successfully outside is to throw the quick screens to guys like Will Blackmon, where he can pick up some yards, instead of running the ball down the field. This is an element of the West coast offense. |
|
|
| LJ (Providence): Coach, I always thought Quinton Porter had great physical ability. What do you think happened to him this past year that could explain why he never developed into a top tier QB? |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: We believed that Quinton was going to be a great quarterback for us, but I think his injury really cost him the ability of being the type of quarterback he wanted to be. If you look back at the Virginia game, he had a great day for us. But when you're a quarterback trying to play on one leg, you have to give him a lot of credit. We hope things work out well for Quinton. |
|
|
| Adam (Boston): Coach, with the relatively low number of scholarships you have available for next year, are you targeting any specific position(s)? Thanks |
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: We will continue to try to recruit the fastest players we can find, at whatever position. If we can upgrade any position next year with bigger, faster guys, we will try to do that. Specifically next year, offensive line and linebacker are the two positional needs, going into the year, that we will look at. |
|
|
|
Head Coach Tom O'Brien: Thank you all for your questions today. We look forward to chatting with you again in the near future. Go Eagles! |
|
|
|
