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UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 12, 2007

Jamar Adams

Q. Has it sunk in that this is it?
JAMAR ADAMS: It's kind hard to think about that. Last time playing in the big house. Its going to be a special day. It's going to be a special day.

Q. Can you even highlight from all your time playing in here what you remember most?
JAMAR ADAMS: I don't know, there's been so many. Maybe the biggest one probably the overtime against Michigan State watching Brendan out there performing. You know, I realize, you know, I was watching a great player in his element.
The last second win against Penn State, I was on the sideline praying so hard. And the crowd erupted and the team was on the field. It was a great feeling, too, to be part of that team, as well.

Q. Talk about Shawn being against State?
JAMAR ADAMS: Yeah, you're playing against guys you played high school against. Particularly when you play Ohio State the last game of the season. And right after that you're going home for Thanksgiving. Then you go home to that same atmosphere. I know he wants to win that game.
You don't want to lose to everybody and hear back about how you should have went to Ohio State.

Q. Do you think he's hearing that?
JAMAR ADAMS: I'm sure people say that to him.

Q. How important is it to win for Ohio State, considering the last three years?
JAMAR ADAMS: It's extremely important. Excluding the last three years, this is for all the marbles in the Big Ten.
We haven't had a Big Ten championship ring since my freshman year. The majority of our freshman didn't play a huge role in that, Mike and Chad did, but some of the other guys, the personal team guys get in there a little bit on offense and defense.
But this is our time to go out there and play a huge part, and a huge role in wing a championship.

Q. Are you position to get that?
JAMAR ADAMS: I'm not going to be surprised. We played hard, we fought back. We did a good job in the Big Ten Conference schedule. And we put ourselves in position to be here.

Q. How key was Coach Carr to now being in a position to win it all?
JAMAR ADAMS: His leadership, his poise. His understanding of how to get team together after such a tough start. He had all the skills that were needed to bring us together. Get our focus there.
He had previous experience in that same situation where he could draw from his past and kind of remind us that these things had happened before. And can you definitely come back from them.

Q. Taken a lot of shots with the 0-2 start. And now you'll hear all week you're 1-5 against Tressel. How much do you want to win this team not only to get a championship, but kind of shut people like us up?
JAMAR ADAMS: You don't really think about the media when you're thinking about a huge rivalry like this. It's just a joy and a pleasure to be on the field and compete for a Big Ten Championship.
We definitely want to play hard and win the ball game. And that is extra incentive with Coach Carr. I really have grown very close to Coach Carr, and we definite lie want to win the ball game for Coach Carr, the staff and the whole program.

Q. Was there a single moment or meeting that you can recall with him or something that he showed you on your way through here?
JAMAR ADAMS: We've had countless meetings and bringing me into his office to tell me where he sees me at, where he sees me in the future. I respect his honesty towards me, and I respect how he deals with players. It's been a pleasure to play for a guy like him.

Q. Can you describe how Thanksgiving is like for you with your family after an Ohio State loss?
JAMAR ADAMS: Any time you lose a ball game sometimes your family doesn't know how to deal with it. They don't know were to talk about it or leave the issue alone. I'm more the guy that likes to leave the issue alone. So any family members that want to talk about it, they have a hard time dealing with me (laughing).
But that's just with any loss. But particularly with Ohio State, because you're there in person with them.

Q. There are going to be a lot of people that judge your senior class, how are you going to judge it?
JAMAR ADAMS: I'm not really focused on that right now. Our goal at hand is to win this game. To prepare all week, to be ready for this game. It's a huge game. It's at home game. It's our last home game. That's our focus right now.
I'm not focused on our legacy or what we've done here in our career. We've had really good players who have come in. And we've had a good recruiting class that, for the most part, most guys have panned out and been where most of us thought we were going to be.
So we're proud of each other, we're proud of the hard work that we've put in the classroom as well. A lot of guys are graduating, so that is a great honor as well.

Q. What's going on the last four quarters and what makes you confident you can correct that against a team like Ohio State?
JAMAR ADAMS: The running play is not magic. Nobody has a magic running play. It is the same running play. You just have to execute better. You have to say I'm tougher than you. I'm going to control this gap. And that is the bottom line about the running game.
There is no X's and O's, problems. Hey, you've got to say, I'm tougher than you, I'm going to control this gap and execute. That is the bottom line.

Q. Do you remember much from Bo's talk to you guys before the game last year? What suggestions he gave you?
JAMAR ADAMS: Coach Schembechler was coach to a lot of players, particularly because he was a person who cared about the player. Coach Schembechler would know about an injury you had your freshman year. If he saw you in the training room, he would say, I hope you're not here for that foot injury again.
And this is a guy that knows about an injury you had two years ago, so you start to care about a guy that cares about you that much.
And it was a great honor to see him come in and speak. We definitely new knew the importance of the game when coach Schembechler took time to come in and speak to the team.

Q. How much of a hole has it been around here this year? Is there a sense that he's no longer around?
JAMAR ADAMS: It's tough. His office is still there. The building is still named after him. But it's just been so, you know, I don't know.
We've given so much to the season, that you don't have time to really think about things like that. We're just trying to give as much as we can to the season.

Q. Talk about the importance of eliminating or making sure they don't make big plays like they had last year?
JAMAR ADAMS: They had a lot of big plays last year. The key is to go out there and execute your assignment. You can't worry about not giving up big plays, you have to go out there and execute your assignment.
We just know if you don't give up big plays, it kind of keeps the momentum in your favor the majority of the time. And it allows you and forces them to drive the ball down the field, And it forces them to execute properly and sustain drives. And that is very difficult for any offense to execute properly, play after play for 10, 11-play drive.

Q. Can you predict a return about Michael Hart? Do you predict him returning Saturday?
JAMAR ADAMS: Yes.

Q. Was that part of his return for not returning on Saturday?
JAMAR ADAMS: I have no idea about that, but I always expect Mike Hart to play.

Q. What about Chad Henne?
JAMAR ADAMS: I always expect Chad to play.

Q. In 1990 with it got to the point where people thought there was a mental block, and that Coach Carr can't beat Ohio State, same mental block. What are your thoughts on that?
JAMAR ADAMS: I don't know about any of that. I know the players play the game. The coaches stand on the sideline. We're going to be out there this Saturday, that's all I know.

Q. Both teams coming off a loss, take anything away from this match up?
JAMAR ADAMS: Not at all. It's another game. It's a big game, for all the marbles in the Big Ten. I can't see how it would.

Q. You mentioned Chad and Mike - is there any aspect because of what they've gone through, and they might not be 100%, is there any chance they might match-up?
JAMAR ADAMS: Here in Michigan we believe defense wins championships regardless of what the offense situation is. We always want to go out there and play a game that allows Michigan to win the football game. As long as which hold them to less points than we have, we have a chance to win the ballgame, and that's the only thing we focus on.

Q. Coach lost a lot of play makers last year. What do you make of this year's offense for OSU and the stats they have?
JAMAR ADAMS: They have a good coaching staff and good players. You can't expect anything less. You have good players, good coaching staff, that's what you should do.

Q. What was it like to go through last year's Ohio State compared to what you have to go through this year and this week?
JAMAR ADAMS: Last year, was last year. We don't think about that. This is a new year, new team. New chemistry on the team. Our main focus is just this week, singly, this week. Watching film, practicing hard, working out in the weight room hard. Getting ready for this game.

Q. Do you feel the need for the victory with the seniors this week and talking about the turn around in Senior leadership? Do you feel it's up to you guys to make sure it gets done?
JAMAR ADAMS: I think that's part of being at Michigan. The seniors have to step up. The seniors are the guys that have been around the longest, have the experience. Physically stronger, have the mental toughness. And it's our time now, you know what I mean. It's our time.

Q. Can you describe what the weekend's like with players around campus? Do you get a chance to relish it? Do you want to relish it?
JAMAR ADAMS: I mean, on campus a lot of people are talking to you about the games in class, and everybody's wishing you luck. People are excited around campus. You see more T-shirts. People trying to sell things.
For me, it's a week of extreme focus. You want to make sure you get in the classroom, get everything done. You don't want any classroom issues.
When it comes to football, there is extreme focus. Studying film, you don't want to leave any page unturned. You want to make sure you've covered everything so you can go into the game confident and ready.

Q. When you hear the words Ohio State, what comes to your mind, knots in your stomach?
JAMAR ADAMS: The next opponent. The next opponent.

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