April 16, 2008

Defensive Back Mark Parson

On his development:

It's all about technique, being in the right place and just flying around out there.

On his goals for the 2008 season:

I want to be one of the best and I want our defense to be one of the best defenses in the country. I want us to be able to compete nationally. We're heading up to Columbus to play Ohio State so that's one place where we're definitely going to have to bring our "A" game.

On getting through the defense's injuries this spring:

Running Back Chris Garrett

On playing running back:

I'm very excited to play running back because I had played it all my life. Kalvin (McRae) left some pretty big shoes to fill. I talk to him almost on a daily basis to just try to pick up what he knows about the offense. Whether it's going to be a four, two or one-man rotation, I'm just trying to get in there and do what I do best.

On how he has worked to increase his speed:

When I was a kid in upstate New York, I just chased squirrels because those are the hardest things to catch. That kinda helped me out. To those kids who want to increase their speed, running track is also something that helps. I did that in high school and my freshman year here as well.

On the intensity at practice:

We're all a big family. There's going to be some bickering out there, but we're just anxious to hit some new people. Tensions are going to flare at times on the field, but once we get back in the locker room, everything is cool.