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UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDIA CONFERENCE

December 21, 2009

Roddrick Muckelroy

RODDRICK MUCKELROY: I don't know. I can't tell, you know. It's a toss-up. We'll take a tie or a draw.

Q. How much do you look forward to defense against defense? Two of the best in the country coming down for a National Championship?
RODDRICK MUCKELROY: Oh, it's going to be fun. They say defense wins championships, right. I heard that a long time ago. So we're going to take that mentality to the game. It's going to be fun, you know, sitting back, watching film, it's kind of a long wait for the game to start. But it's a build-up process. As you get closer and closer to the game, you know, I can't wait till it, really.

Q. You look like you're having fun?
RODDRICK MUCKELROY: No, I smile. I smile. I ain't got my game face on yet. But as you get closer and closer to the game, it will start to change.

Q. Is it too long between games?
RODDRICK MUCKELROY: Um, it's different. I like the fact that you have times when your body over these last past 13 weeks, your body's been beat up. And it's kind of a time, you know, for it to start hitting up a little bit. But it's not the same as, you know, the regular six or seven days to miss games.
So you've got time to, you know, really break down your opponent, you know. Get in back to your fundamentals, you know. Get ready for the game.

Q. Talk about their defense?
RODDRICK MUCKELROY: You know, both of the teams defenses are ranked high. As far as, you know, they've got great players they've got a Butkus Award winner, All American tackle over there. You know, I mean, two good defenses are going to take the field, you know. So we're going to come to play and be ready for the game.

Q. Does the underdog role come into play at all for your preparation? Maybe not getting the respect that you deserve?
RODDRICK MUCKELROY: Actually, I don't pay that much attention to the media and ESPN. Unless they say it on ESPN, I ain't hearing about the underdog role or anything so I ain't really paid too much attention about the underdog. You know, what's been going on because I just pay attention to, you know, outside of the locker room and what people are saying.
I don't know, we've got the team to practice hard and prepare just like the game, you know. Go out and play the game.

Q. Is it surreal?
RODDRICK MUCKELROY: Surreal? Man, first time it happened I was just sitting back. I didn't get a chance to actually go in and play in '05. So everything, you know, it just kind of hit me once I get in the game. The atmosphere, I know it's going to be loud out there. So once you smell the hot dogs and nachos and cooking it up, it's going to be fun.

Q. You like the cooking?
RODDRICK MUCKELROY: Oh, yeah, they've got something cooking out there. I smell a little bit of everything.

Q. Coach said it's been physical in practice. Can you tell us what's been going on?
RODDRICK MUCKELROY: Yeah, what we did. We just took everything and started over, you know. Just like two-a-days. The thrills we haven't done since two-a-days, you know we're bringing back in. Just going back to your fundamentals and everything.
You know, attacking drills, individual drills. You know, just getting ready, you know. Going back to your core fundamentals of football is what we've been doing. Like I said, we've got time because we've got a little bit of a stretch before we play again. So you have time to do it and your body will heal back up again.

Q. Any special awards or anything like that?
RODDRICK MUCKELROY: No, we ain't doing up downs, no. We ain't doing up downs. No, no special awards. Just more like position drills and things you can do that you can't normally do during the regular season.

Q. Is there almost a frustration or anxiousness that you haven't started preparing for Alabama yet? And you want to start getting in the game plan of what you're going to be doing?
RODDRICK MUCKELROY: Yeah, yeah, it is. Because like I said, in a regular game we've been having the game plan by now. But since we've still got 18 days off, so, you know, you get kind of like okay, let's start working on them a little bit, you know.
Like I said, we're going since last week. I can't wait till we get a chance to get started on them and see what the game plan's going to be.

Q. (No microphone)?
RODDRICK MUCKELROY: Yeah, he's coming down here, a hard hitter. Great player, great person to be around. I'm excited that he'll get the chance to come back and play the game.

Q. Talk about him and kind of the offensive player that he is?
RODDRICK MUCKELROY: He's a great player. I've got film on him. He's a great back. He's got great speed. He hits the hose quick. He's a hard runner. So he's one of those guys you can't just go in there and try to butt him down and throw your body. You've got to come in, bring your feet and wrap up.
He's a great back, obviously. He won the Heisman Trophy. So it's going to be a great chance for the defense to step up and go out there, you know. Go out there and play the game.

Q. Do you have a favorite Christmas present you got as a kid growing up?
RODDRICK MUCKELROY: My favorite Christmas present was, no matter what it was, it was a big box. Growing up, it was always that one big box. You'd have that one big box, and you wake up, and that's the one. I would either open it up first or open it up last.
But over the years I got 18 and I didn't really get the big box. I was kind of disappointed. I might have been a little too old to be disappointed. But I didn't get that big box when I was 18, so I was kind of disappointed then. But no matter what the big box was, I was eager to see what was in the big box.

Q. Would it be great to have the National Championship put in a big box for you?
RODDRICK MUCKELROY: I'd try to go get it. Try to get it.

End of FastScripts

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