Quotes from Mel Purcell

http://starbulletin.com/2007/06/03/sports/story03.html

Once again being asked about how he was at Anna Miller's with his parents during the draft, Mel:
"I wasn't worried about the draft or anything like that. I was at Anna Miller's at the time, eating with my parents. I was just sitting there, chilling with my family, having a good time, and thinking, 'If I get a call, I get it, and if not we'll just settle with free agency.' " (HSB)


About being taken by Cleveland in the 6th round, Mel said:
"It felt good. It was the greatest feeling I ever had." (HSB)


About the DL rookies they took late in the draft, Browns head coach Romeo Crennel said:
"With the defensive linemen that we took on the second day we kind of figured those guys would be projects for us, and so far I think that's the case. It's always hard to evaluate linemen in shorts. You cannot really evaluate linemen in shorts because that position is a position that there's contact on every play and it's hard to have contact here in shorts." (HSB)


Asked if he knew much about the Browns or the city of Cleveland before he was drafted, Mel said:
"No, not really. I heard good things about them. I never thought that they would consider me as one of their players, but I'm just happy to be here. There's a lot of great people here." (HSB)


Asked what minicamp has been like, Mel said:
"It's good. I'm just learning from the vets and stuff, just asking them questions. They're giving me advice, telling me what to do. Basically, everything's just going fast and I'm just trying my best to keep up with the pace. But it's going pretty good." (HSB)


About what was the biggest adjustment he had to make, Mel said:
"I would say a lot of things. I'm just adjusting to the new environment and stuff like that -- the weather, the food, the people and everything, but it's been good. Some of the players who are used to playing in the pros, I talked with them and they said the speed of things just goes fast. If you slow down you're going to miss out on a lot of things. It's going fast so I'm just trying to stay in the meeting rooms, watching films and paying attention to my notes." (HSB)


Asked how playing in Hawaii helpe prepare him for the NFL, Mel said:
"They do run similar things, but different terminology, different techniques. I'm into the system, but I just need to know it better." (HSB)


Asked what advice the UH coaches gave him, Mel said:
"They just told me to just go 110 percent. Don't look back on anything and don't have any regrets. Don't take it easy. This is a job interview for a lot of us so we've got to put up our best impression." (HSB)


Asked who has been the biggest help to him in minicamp, Mel said:
"Right now, everybody, the whole D-line has been a big part. If they see that something's wrong they'll come and tell me and tell me stuff I need to work on, like my footwork, they're teaching me a whole bunch of stuff so basically all the D-linemen and the coaches getting on me and telling me what I need to do." (HSB)


Asked what it is like to work with a rising star in the NFL in LB Kamerion Wimbley, Mel said:
"It's cool. It was kind of hard working as a D-end with him, but he gives us advice so it's good that he's helping some of the new guys, too." (HSB)


Asked what it is like to be a rookie, Mel said:
"It's like the same thing as the first year in college. It takes time to get to know everybody. Right now, it's kind of hard. Basically, right now, I'm trying to take that starting role from someone else so it's a fight out here. It's a dogfight out here. But being a rookie is just the same old thing -- you've just got to do your part and just show up." (HSB)


Asked what hiis goals are, Mel said:
"Right now, I'm just trying to make the team -- that's the most important part. I'm trying to make the team and trying to help the team in whatever they need me to do. I'll do it. I know a lot of the guys, that's how they make the team is through special teams. I never got too much playing time on special teams in my life but right now I'm taking a couple reps." (HSB)


Asked what kind of impact he thinks he can make, Mel said:
"They told me, 'You've just got to show up.' So right now I'm just helping them out on special teams. They've already got guys for the D-line, but they need some guys to toughen up the special teams, so whenever they need me to go in, I'm just going to take that chance." (HSB)