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ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY VIZIO: OREGON v WISCONSINDecember 28, 2011Montee BallPASADENA, CALIFORNIA MONTEE BALL: Five, six yards, open space. In the game, maybe even a touchdown. But I'd say some things we have in common we're both capable of doing great things with the football. Pretty much every time we touch it. But other than that, obviously a lot more speed, a lot more electrifying, but what I bring to the table is a lot of strength, power. And he's a great back, and we have to try to (inaudible). Q. Spend a little time with him? MONTEE BALL: I've been looking forward to meeting him in Orlando and also figured I'd meet him at Disneyland thing, the senior deal. But I look forward to meeting him and talking to him. I didn't get a chance to. Q. In some ways you got (inaudible) that's not a bad thing necessarily for a running back, do you benefit from the system? MONTEE BALL: I think any team the running back obviously is a product of the system. That's a good thing. But, yeah, they do a great job of I guess staying on his strengths, basically putting him in open space with the football, which is one of the strengths, and the same with us, we do a great job of keeping me protected behind the big offensive linemen and weave my way around them and score a touchdown. Q. Did you want to be in this type of system, tailback oriented but did you ever fantasize what it would be like wide open? MONTEE BALL: Yes, of course I've always wanted to be here. I've thought about it a couple times taking a lot of carries from the gun and stuff like that, doing a lot of spread work, and it would be a lot of fun obviously getting the ball into open space, it would be a lot of fun. Q. Had Missouri not been a spread team you would have considered them more seriously? MONTEE BALL: Of course, hometown team. Most likely want to stay home with the family. Stay with family and friends. But, yeah, they didn't, they turned me off with their style of football. But they're a great program, obviously. I believe they won their Bowl game, I think. But other than that, really was set, Wisconsin. Q. (Inaudible) MONTEE BALL: I narrowed it down to Wisconsin and Iowa for sure. And I really felt like I made a great choice with Wisconsin. Q. Do you remember your last fumble? MONTEE BALL: My last fumble. Q. What happened? MONTEE BALL: The Illinois game, I believe it was‑‑ that's what happens you try to fight for those extra two or three yards and I lost track of the football, and did a great job popping them out. Q. To go that long without fumbling since, out of the whole team, the turnovers, how do they emphasize this in practice, what's the retribution? MONTEE BALL: I really take pride in it in our practice to protect the football because I believe job security, I'm sorry, protecting the ball is job security, really. But other than that, what we do in practices, we run through the blasts the running backs, the quarterbacks, coaches, swipe at the football. We have a ball hooked up to a rubber band we have to run with it while people are pulling on it. We do a great job emphasizing it through our practice. Q. I heard people talk about pressure points, is that something, too? MONTEE BALL: Of course we look on all that. At the beginning of the camp, you're moving forward throughout the season because it's something you've got to keep emphasizing. Q. This system has prepared you for when you go to the next level, don't you think? How has it prepared you? MONTEE BALL: I believe pro style offense is there any spread team besides Broncos? That's pretty much all I see in the league of a spread team. Yeah, big linemen in front of me. Pro style offense. I believe it will prepare me for the league. Q. Do you pay much attention to early on how they're assessing (inaudible) MONTEE BALL: Early meaning like I guess mid‑season. Q. People start talking about it before the season, who is going to be the Heisman favorite. Did you ever look at it like at it at the beginning of the season, people were talking about you? MONTEE BALL: Yeah, of course I'm human. I always wanted to be in the Heisman race and all that stuff. At the beginning of the season I peek at it a little bit. I wouldn't have guessed I would have made it. I think it's a good thing kept me 1 and 0 kept me playing my hardest and I wanted to make it there. Q. What was that whole experience like? MONTEE BALL: It was a lot of fun. Just to start off never been to New York. So that alone was one experience I will always cherish for the rest of my life. Other than that meeting the other great players in the country was something I really looked forward to doing, really down to earth players and soaking in the entire experience because it may happen only one time in my life. Q. When during the season did you start thinking I might have a chance to make it? MONTEE BALL: I believe after the Illinois game is when I told myself, you know, hey, it's possible that I may be able to make this trip. But really what I had to kept telling, the players would talk to me about it and media, what I really told the media, players and myself was that the only thing I can control is playing my hardest, and all the other stuff will unfold itself in the end. Q.  When you get on the 4, the 3 or the 2, people talk about (inaudible) MONTEE BALL: For sure, they're the most toughest yards on the field. But we emphasize a lot of finishing, and I really take it to heart that once I get into the red zone I want to finish it out with a touchdown instead of a field goal. That's what we have to focus on in this game we've been doing it a lot this season but really this game. You can't come out with three points all the time with Oregon or they'll burn you. Q. Is it kind of like a hunger when you get down to, when you're getting inside the 5 and what's that like? MONTEE BALL: Yeah, I mean, honestly once you get in the red zone I'm more locked in than I am coming midfield, not saying that I'm not locked in, but we really‑‑ whenever we huddle up we always tell each other let's finish this out, let's finish this drive out. Let's make a statement right here. And that really drives everyone, motivates everyone and we make sure we get it done. Q. Really in your career didn't have the success you're having now. What kept you going there? MONTEE BALL: I guess you are talking about last year, and well really just starting my parents kept me going. And really just myself, I guess drive my ambition, my motivation, all that stuff really kept me going. Just wanted to achieve and just be accountable for my teammates and making sure they can count on me. Q. They live‑‑ did they move to Maine? MONTEE BALL: They did. Q. Were they there the whole time? MONTEE BALL: They moved my freshman year. Like I said I was fortunate to go about 15 minutes away and talk to them face to face when I fell in the depth chart. Q. What was it about it (inaudible) MONTEE BALL: My parents? They were able to‑‑ my dad, he still works from home in St. Louis. He'll travel back home a couple times and work there. Works a lot from home. But my mom, she's customer service. She just switched over to Madison Gas and Electric Company. Q. What's your dad do? MONTEE BALL: He's a graphics designer I believe or something like that. He does something like that. Q. Doesn't actually go into the manufacturing‑‑ MONTEE BALL: No, no. Q. Having them there all the time, I know there was one time (inaudible) MONTEE BALL: A lot. It means a lot. For one my mom will come and grab my laundry sometimes if she wants. Other than that, if I want to go home, hang out with my family, just have home‑cooked meals, a home away from home, is something that I'm really fortunate to have and really blessed for it. Q. When you first heard Russell was coming, know anything about him? MONTEE BALL: Actually, no, no, I really didn't see much of him in the media and all that stuff. But as soon as I heard we have this player going to transfer here and stuff like that, obviously YouTubed him, looked him up, great player, yeah, we need to have him in our system. And once I met him, very intelligent man. Just off the field what he was talking about, what he's accomplished with his degree and all that stuff. I tip my hat to him for that. Other than that, what he did on the field is remarkable. We really needed him in our program and just the poise that he had in the huddle, had the pocket is something that we obviously cherish and needed for this program. Q. How did that first week of practice, what did he (inaudible) MONTEE BALL: From our workouts, because we'll have summer conditioning and stuff, after we do seven‑on‑seven, and just right off the bat he was critiquing my routes and stuff like that. I was like looking at him like I've been here for a little bit. But I just followed what he was telling me. He just took me under his wings and I believe he made me a better player overall, all around. Q. Wisconsin's had a lot of success in the Rose Bowl. What sort of the impression that people have about Pasadena, and the Rose Bowl, the Wisconsin program, I would guess that's‑‑ MONTEE BALL: Yeah, Wisconsin program and the Wisconsin nation, all the fans, they know it's the best Bowl game. It's the granddaddy of them all. You want to make it there because it's huge for the Big Ten to make it there, represent the Big Ten. Other than that, for Wisconsin, we know we left a lot on the table last year. That means a lot for us to make it back this year, because we faced a lot of adversity and overcame it. It means a lot for our program. It will mean a lot for our program and ourselves if we come out with a victory this time. Q. How long was that plane flight home, when you look back on that game? MONTEE BALL: Yeah, the flight was a lot longer than usual. But it was real quiet. But watching film and all that stuff, we weren't playing like ourselves. We were making a lot of penalties. I believe last year we were the least penalized game, we had a lot of penalties in that game. It hurt us with a quick, quality team. We just weren't doing stuff that we usually do and it obviously hurt us. That's why this year we're making sure we're sticking to our program, sticking to our play book and play Wisconsin‑style football. Q. (Inaudible) MONTEE BALL: Yeah. Q. Kind of haunt you a little bit about? MONTEE BALL: I wouldn't pretty much say that. I just believe that we weren't‑‑ I guess after that drive and the next few drives we weren't as locked in, as focused as we needed to be, because you can't let down a little bit against any team that you're playing against in any type of Bowl game because they made it just like you did. Q. What are your impressions of Oregon's defense? MONTEE BALL: For one, they're fast athletes. They do a great job rallying to the football, making plays on their feet. But one thing that sticks out most to me they do a great job of disguising their blitzes, great job of disguising their blitzes. We have to make sure we do a great job dissecting that and figuring out what they're trying to do over there. Q. Similar at all to the way TCU played you last year, in their defense? MONTEE BALL: I'd say it's a little different. But I think if I remember TCU, they really tried to do a lot of blitzes to contain us and Oregon kind of does that same way. It's not really like a blitz but they like to line their D end wide and it will come off the edge a couple times just to contain us. That's one thing they have in common with TCU and also speed. Q. As part of that fan base, playing in that stadium, what do you remember when you first got there, about how exciting it was, the whole atmosphere? MONTEE BALL: Just playing at Camp Reynold for the first time?  I mean, just when I took my official visit there, I think it was when we played Ohio State three years ago, it was a night game. It was like first time I saw a jumper on the west, I said I gotta play here. First game, when I chose this place, first game it was something I'll always remember for the rest of my life. It was packed as usual. Fans screaming, fans having fun. And just a great environment, honestly, just a great environment. Q. (Inaudible) what's that done for you? MONTEE BALL: Right. Well, for one, what it's taught me is that you know each day you gotta work extremely hard for your spot, because there's a player right behind you or a player coming in that's trying to take your position. And that's what I believe‑‑ that's what I didn't believe in last year, that's why I got my spot taken. But other than that, just competing every day and making sure that we have the healthy competition between one another, because we're friends off the field. But once you're on the field you're competing to be that feature back. So it's all about healthy competition and knowing what you gotta do and try and accomplish it. Q. What went through your mind briefly, make sure you play linebacker‑‑ MONTEE BALL: Yeah, that's what, I didn't get a lot of carries last week I was thinking of switching to linebacker. I didn't talk to the coaches about it. Thank God. But I believe I probably played‑‑ I think I played some outside linebacker, honestly. I played a lot of linebacker in high school and obviously before high school. I believe I could be an all right linebacker. Q. Not a trip to New York? MONTEE BALL: Not at all. That's why I'm glad what happened last year happened. It made me a lot better man. And just overall matured me. Maturity. Q. Remember having been recruited. What were your goals, expectations, what did people think? MONTEE BALL: Well, what they always said, great guy, stuff like that, very humble. What they saw on the field is kind of what you see on the field now is no matter what I'll get stronger as the game goes on. And I'm just set on really, really set on being accountable for my teammates. They do like offensive line does a great job of creating holes for me and I gotta make sure that I'm accountable to seek the holes and run through them. Q. Did you play anything else? MONTEE BALL: No, basketball. Played basketball from eighth grade up to my junior year in high school. Q. When the recruiters‑‑ Pac‑10 recruiters come around was it in your junior year? MONTEE BALL: Yeah, junior year, start seeing them walking our hallways and stuff like that. Talking to them a couple times. It was obviously a good experience I'll never forget. Q. The Wisconsin thing was just basic the system and the spirit and the offense? MONTEE BALL: Yeah, yeah, and tradition. The traditional, Rose Bowl, all that stuff, all the great players that played in the Rose Bowl. But, yeah, everything‑‑ I liked everything about the school. I liked the coaches. But really you can't set your mind on wanting to go to a college because of the coaches. But other than that it was a tradition. The environment. And just the feel that you have. You know in your heart you know where you need to go. Q. (Inaudible) MONTEE BALL: Yeah, that obviously turned me on a little bit, turned me on to the program. But they do a great job of recruiting the big guys up front, and they're extremely just ferocious, the front end. Q. Do you guys feel as a team that most of the time you're going to (inaudible) in the game they're going to be able to (inaudible) MONTEE BALL: Huge part. Huge part of the way we practice and what the coaches preach to us, because football is a very physical game. You have to make sure you're the most physical team out there on the field. If not we believe you won't come out with the victory. We preach in practice make sure that we work on it a lot in practice and carry it forward to the game field. Q. Spring practices (inaudible) MONTEE BALL: Yeah, obviously coming from high school and coming into a pretty physical program like this was a huge, huge change for me but I think it bettered me overall. I knew how better of a football player it would make me. I just cherished the opportunities and make sure I capitalize on every opportunity to become a great player. Q. Russell, tell us the first thing about him, what about his personality and his makeup motivated you and the rest of the team to vote him as a co‑captain a couple months after he got to campus? MONTEE BALL: As soon as he got there, just his intelligence. And just his self‑drive that he has in him to accomplish everything that he sets his feet on. So really‑‑ the thing that sold me on him was what he said to us at a meeting. He said: I'm here to get you guys to where you want to get to. And he said we're going to make sure we do it. And we did it. Once he said that, it was, like, this guy is the leader, he's going to be a team captain. Q. Do you remember when that meeting was? Was it in spring‑‑ MONTEE BALL: This was I believe late summer conditioning, early fall camp, because we‑‑ coaches finally came back from recruiting and all that stuff. We had our meeting. During that meeting we introduced all the new people and he stood up and made that statement. Q. This is not a question but I'm going to throw it out anyway, what about his athleticism and skills, how does that complement your running game and how does it make your offense more effective? MONTEE BALL: Makes our offense more balanced for one. And just what he's capable of doing in the air. What he's capable of doing in the air teams have to respect it and honor it. They have to back out of the box a little bit. Obviously when teams back out of the box, we can get after them with the running game. He complements me and also I complement him with stacking the box with a bunch of players, and he's able to do a lot of great things in the air. Q. How much of your success this year was, for lack of a better word, dependent on his success? MONTEE BALL: I believe a lot. I don't want to say‑‑ we have other good quarterbacks in our program. But I believe without him I probably wouldn't have had as much success as I had. Because like I said he complements me a lot. But just what he does in the air. Teams have to respect that. Even though I believe they don't want to, they have to back out of the box and that creates a lot of holes for myself. Q. I know this was a rough year for him because his father passed. How have you or his teammates helped him as he was mourning, how from what you were able to get out there has he dealt with it? MONTEE BALL: To be honest with you, Russell in that kind of situation, he's very quiet about it, very to himself about it. And we understand that. We made sure to be there. Be by his side. The team will go to his house a couple of times, play video games, just being a good friend to him and making sure we're accountable on the field for him because he really loves the game of football. Q. (Inaudible) will that affect your decision to stay? MONTEE BALL: Obviously it's‑‑ obviously I have to weigh that within my decision. But like I said, I believe in the bottom of my heart I will make the right decision. But to be honest with you I'm not even thinking about them leaving, stuff like that, what I'm going to do. It obviously weighs a lot in my decision. Q. What are your thoughts on Coach Rudolph and what he'll bring to the team? MONTEE BALL: I have no doubts of what he's going to do with the offensive line and also the other coaches that Coach B is going to bring in. Coach B does a great job recruiting coaches. He does a great job. And Rudolph, I think we'll be the same next year or even better. Q. You said, too, yesterday Thomas‑‑ what he's brought to your game has been impactful. You didn't even know it. Just talking about how you just don't know what coaches can bring until they come to the table and the system. MONTEE BALL: Exactly. That's why I know Coach B is going to do a great job bringing in other coaches. Yeah, I mean, with my story last year to this year, we have a coach change, Coach Sutter leaving and Hammond coming in, Coach Sutter did a great job getting me into the system, in the playbook but I believe Coach Hammond brought the aggressive side out of me and the tenacity and all that stuff. Q. Is it Hammond the one that told you, you want to be the best guy sharing carries? MONTEE BALL: Yeah, that was him. He said his exact words were how do you plan on being the best in the country at your position if you're sharing carries with someone on your same team. I was like, oh, that makes sense. Yeah. Q. Coach Chryst, with him taking off, is he just as dialed in as he's ever been or do you see him sometimes drifting, do you think, to Pitt? MONTEE BALL: Just as dialed in, because right now I believe he's not thinking about Pitt. He's thinking about finishing out his Wisconsin career and the Rose Bowl. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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