Tuesday Night Quotes for the UH-BSU game

IS = Idaho Statesman

About sending his WAC coach of the year award to BSU's Petersen, JJ said:
"How often does anyone ever go undefeated and have that type of year and do everything they did? I just thought he deserved it." (IS)


Asked where that trophy is now that Petersen sent it back, JJ said:
"It's in my office, behind a bunch of things." (IS)

IS Note: "Fittingly enough, the winner of Friday's game likely will get the 2007 WAC Coach of the Year award."


Expecting Colt to play the whole BSU game, JJ said:
"(Brennan) could have played last week, too. They cleared him to play. I just thought he had too much at stake." (IS)


About his injury that scared off Pac-10 teams during the recruiting process, Adam Leonard said:
"The injury just helped make me mentally stronger. When things don't look as bright as you would want it to be, you can still push your way through the darkness and get better." (IS)


About how their defense is different this year, Adam said:
"We're finally playing together as a unit. We're making more big plays that change the game." (IS)


About Adam, GM said:
"He's been a big-play guy. He's a great player with a great attitude." (IS)


About how Adam doesn't get the attention he deserves, RGM said:
"I think he's one of the most underrated players in the country. If somebody sits down and just watches our games, him and (linebacker) Solomon (Elimimian), both of them are just everywhere." (IS)


About the Pac-10 school he was going to commit to out of high school, Adam said:
"I was thinking I was going to end up going to Cal." (IS)

IS Note: "Then his knee crumbled, and so did all that Pac-10 interest. He tore an anterior cruciate ligament - the type of injury that usually takes two years for a football player to fully overcome. Cal pulled its offer, suggesting Leonard go to a junior college to rehabilitate his knee. So did Duke, the school he thought would stick with him. So on signing day 2005, Leonard did not have a home. He knew a junior-college coach at Dixie State in Utah and was leaning toward going there."


About how he didn't want to go to a junior college, Adam said:
"I knew I could go the JC route, but I was kind of stubborn. I felt I still deserved a shot at Division I." (IS)


About how the Dixie College coach had friends on UH's coaching staff and sent them his tape, Adam said:
"Thank God he wasn't being selfish." (IS)

IS Note: "Hawaii asked Leonard to visit the day after the coaches watched the video. He flew to Honolulu that weekend and signed a letter of intent. A late offer from Fresno State was his only other I-A opportunity."


About how they took a chance on Adam, JJ said:
"We brought him in for a visit and took a chance. It paid off." (IS)


Praising Adam, Colt said:
"He's just a playmaker. I don't see a better defensive ballplayer in the WAC." (IS)


About how their team got more respect after beating Nevada without him, Colt said:
"Finally everybody can see how great of a team this really is. I know people have said all year, 'Oh, they've got a great quarterback, that is why they win, but they don't really have a great team.' People saw how great of a complete team we are." (AP)


About the importance of this game, Ian Johnson said:
"This game is really huge. We've done everything to get to this point. This is the pinnacle of our season right now . . . the little turning point of whether we finish it off strongly or not. This is the biggest thing for us right now." (AP)

About how their offense is on a roll, scoring 50+ in back-to-back games, Ian said:
"We're definitely in a good situation in our season. When you go out there and execute the way we have ... then you can start having some fun." (AP)


About their scheduling problems this year, JJ said:
"We offered to play everybody. No one wanted to play us." (ABC News)

About their success this year and their lack of respect, JJ said:
"We knew before the season started that we had to win them all to get any respect. We've kind of focused on one at a time and it's worked for us. All I know is we beat Arizona State in a bowl game last year and we've won 20 of our last 21 games. We'll line up and play anybody." (ABC)


About how their schedule is not their fault, Colt said:
"It wasn't like we didn't try to go out and schedule good teams. We tried to play everyone. We couldn't get anybody to take the offers. This is what we've dealt with and this is our schedule. I know we've won some close games and it's been a crazy year, but this team knows how to win. That's what's scary about us -- this team is used to winning." (ABC)