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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: CLEMSON v VIRGINIA TECHNovember 28, 2011Eddie WhitleyCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA THE MODERATOR: We're back with Virginia Tech, Eddie Whitley. Q. I wanted to ask you about what it would mean to you to be a part of the winningest senior class in school history there, especially being able to set that mark in your hometown? EDDIE WHITLEY: It would mean a lot to me knowing all the hard work that this senior class has gone through and all the tough games that we've won here as a team and as a senior class. It would mean a lot. And especially doing it in front of my hometown and friends and family, it would be a tremendous event for me. Q. The Class of 2007 currently holds it and the Class of 2008 was 42‑12. So it seems like you guys are just constantly finding ways to top each other. How do you keep that up and keep that tradition up? EDDIE WHITLEY: I guess it's kind of like a big brother/little brother type of thing. You don't want to disappoint the guys that's been here before you. And they put their hard work into it. And we just want to keep the winning tradition going as much, as far as we can. And that's probably basically the whole thing, is we just don't want to let the alumni that's put their work in in trying to get this program to where it's at right now, we don't want to put them, let them down. So that's probably the biggest thing is just knowing that the guys out there that paved the way for us to get where we are at now and give the opportunities that we have to play in big‑time games and things like that, we don't want to let them down. So that's probably the reason that we just keep topping each other year in, year out. Q. Eddie, obviously you guys have gone through your fair share of defensive injuries this year, more than your fair share, I guess. But when Bruce went down, what do you remember about that first defensive meeting that you guys had after that; maybe how Bud addressed that, what your demeanor was as a defense at that point? Because he was your best player. What about that? EDDIE WHITLEY: We just‑‑ when Coach Bud told us what happened and that he was going to be out for the season, that Bruce was going to be out for the season, guys‑‑ everybody knew they had to step it up an extra notch. Our defensive leader out there with me, and we lost one. So we knew everybody has to step it up and play that much better. Because we knew he gave it all out there for us, and we didn't want to disappoint him and not give it all out there when he's not out there. Everybody had to step up and just play a little better. And that's what we've been doing. Q. There were presumably some concerns from people outside the program about would you guys be able to sustain how well you were playing without him in the lineup. Looking back, did you guys wonder? Maybe you didn't worry, but did you guys wonder how you would adjust to that, and what do you think about how you played with him out so far? EDDIE WHITLEY: You know, it's basically the scheme that Coach Foster, he caters to our abilities. And we just go off of what we have. It doesn't matter who plays; we just need the same performance, we need the same results. And if we get the win, we just get the win. It is hard to see somebody like that go down with that talent. But at the same time we have to go on and just keep playing. So really we just‑‑ it was kind of like, well, it's a different person in those shoes but we need to have the same results, and that's what we've been getting. Q. I don't know how often you guys go live in practice, but I know that Danny Coale's a really good blocker. Do you ever get to deal with that much? EDDIE WHITLEY: Yes, sir, we have to deal with it Tuesday and Wednesdays. He is a very savvy player. He knows how to use his head and knows what type of technical block to use on you. That helps us out both ways. We try to work on our block setting as well as them using their block technique. So we help each other out as much as possible and just try to get better. Q. And talk about what you thought‑‑ I'm sure you guys probably watched with interest when he trotted out the other day to punt for the first time. Just talk about, as hard as it is to get ready for all the stuff you're supposed to do just to play your position, can you imagine what it's like to do that and to punt and to punt return and do all the other stuff that Danny does? EDDIE WHITLEY: Right. See, going into the season he knew that‑‑ he tried to put on himself that he knew he had a lot of responsibility this year as a senior. And he wanted to help the team out as much as possible to win. And he worked out so hard over the summer to get in shape, and whenever his name was called to do all the duties or any duties he had to do this year he would be ready. And I knew‑‑ we didn't have any type of, I don't know, questions or uncertainty that he wouldn't go and do the job to the best of his ability. He's a heck of a player, man. And all you can do is, you know, admire him. Q. Eddie, when Clemson came to Blacksburg a month and a half ago, they came in red hot as an offense, and they put up 23 points. Seems like you guys slowed them down a little bit. What did you think of how you guys played against that defense‑‑ or against that offense, excuse me‑‑ six weeks ago, what do you think you guys need to, I guess, improve on from that performance? EDDIE WHITLEY: We felt that we played a pretty good game against them. Like I said, we probably had four plays out there we wanted to get back and that could have changed obviously the difference of the game. But we couldn't get them back. All we can do now is learn from our mistakes, keep playing with the same emotion and the passion we had the first time and clean up the mistakes we had the first time. Hopefully we come out on top. Q. You guys were able to slow down Sammy Watkins pretty well, and if I'm not mistaken was it Cris Hill who covered him most of the game? EDDIE WHITLEY: Yes, sir. Q. What does that say about Cris? Does that surprise you? Everyone would kind of think either Kyle or Jayron would be the one covering Sammy Watkins but it was Cris who shut him down. What did you think of what he did against him and did it surprise you? EDDIE WHITLEY:  You know, we as a defensive back, and our coaches, whatever, in practice, we just work on our technique every day. And we try to work on our craft and perfect it as much as possible. It didn't matter‑‑ I guess it happened like that that Sammy was into the field the whole game or most of the game so that Cris Hill had to guard him. It wasn't like we had to pay a little more attention to him. We knew he was a dynamic player and he was going to make his plays when possible. But we just gotta trust our players we have and go out there and just play ball. He's a senior, Cris Hill is a senior. He worked hard over the summer getting ready for the season because he knows it's his last one, and we didn't have no problem with him guarding them. It didn't matter who was on him. We just had to trust our technique and our coaches to put us in the right position to make plays. Q. Just wondering, was that game‑‑ the first game against Clemson, how much of a wake‑up call was that for you guys? What was said and done the week after that, because you haven't lost since then and clearly been a different team since then? EDDIE WHITLEY: How much was what? Q. That first Clemson game, how much was that a wake‑up call, a reality check for you guys, and just the entire team and what did you all do differently to kind of turn the season around after that point? EDDIE WHITLEY: You know, it was kind of like we had four exhibition games, competition in the first four games wasn't as‑‑ I don't know‑‑ as powerful, dominant as we would like. But going into the Clemson game everybody was on a high horse. It was a wake‑up call. After that game we was like this is ACC play. Obviously we knew how it was going to be. But I guess we got caught off guard for a little bit. But after that everybody woke up and we knew what we had to do for the rest of the season. And that's why we've been winning since, so... THE MODERATOR: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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