The latest press conference from training camp. Nobody panic because McKenzie Mathews went home.
On McKenzie Matthews’ absence from practice:
I’ll tell you what happened with McKenzie. When all of this happened without getting into a lot of details, he obviously stayed and practiced through everything. I had conversations with his coach, his mom and everything. I had pre-arranged for him to go home and see his mother and his coach. This was set up four days ago, and he’ll be back. It was a personal thing that I just felt was important to do at this time. That’s where that’s at.
Everybody breathe. This is not a big deal. It jibes with what his HS coach told the Syracuse beat reporter on Monday.
Brandon Mason was excused for personal reasons that Coach Wannstedt says will be explained later. Cue ominous music.
Linebacker Tyler Tipton is going to transfer. Pitt will help him. I would guess he sees an opportunity to crack the line-up fading quickly.
Darrelle Revis has a sore hamstring. Dexter Davidson needed to have both his knees scoped. I’m guessing he’s heading for a red shirt.
Bill Stull apparently gets the pin out of his finger on Friday, so he is getting closer to returning to full practice.
On the bright side Kicker David Abdul is apparently getting close to being cleared to practice. That’s great news for Abdul.
Other players returned or are close to returning.
On injured and returning players:
Dorin Dickerson came out today and got some work today which was encouraging. We expect that Conredge Collins will be back tomorrow. [Jason] Pinkston and Mick Williams are still slowed up because of the concussions. Hopefully Pinkston will be back tomorrow. Mick – it’ll be another day or two. For the most part guys are showing up. We don’t have any serious injuries. We’ve got a lot of guys out here that are banged up, beat up and practicing. That’s part of training camp. It’s what separates the men from the boys as we say. Dorin came out today and worked through some individual [drills] and did some things. He’s obviously not 100 percent. It’s going to take him a couple of days, but he’s back at it. I asked him at the end there, and he said he did feel good so that’s encouraging.
Coach Wannstedt had plenty of praise and encouragement.
On his thoughts after viewing the film from yesterday’s scrimmage:
After the film, the guys that jumped out that made some plays were Tommie Campbell, big John Malecki, Jovani [Chappel] did some nice things at corner and on special teams. Jeff Otah did some nice things on the offensive line. Shane Brooks, I think, has kind of turned into that tough guy. Kevin Collier showed up and scored two touchdowns. Doug Fulmer continues to make plays. I was really encouraged by, if you want to look at positions, probably our defensive line. But we still haven’t settled on anything yet. And the neat thing about it right now is the competition is so fierce – Rashaad Duncan, Corey Davis – everybody’s playing better. They’re all playing. It’s going to be a real, kind of interesting thing when we can say, `Okay, it’s game week guys, and here are the four tackles who are going to play and the four ends.’ It’s going to be a good thing, and we’re going to play a lot of guys and keep guys fresh. I kind of like that thing. I think Greg Gattuso and Charlie Partridge are really doing a great job of bringing those young kids along but at the same time keeping that healthy competitiveness.
Coach Wannstedt is relentlessly positive about his players. So I think it will be a cold day in hell before you see him really call out individual players. It does, though, breed a certain reading between the lines or reinterpretation of what he actually means when he doesn’t completely praise a player.
I don’t know Chas, I sorta like the DW approach; I’m more inclined to believe that he’s not big on criticizing player deficits to the media. I do not think DW’s a cup-cake.
I vividly remember him tearing a couple guys new assh*les on the sidelines after botching a play in several televised games last season. He’s no Bill Parcells, nor is he Bobby Knight for that matter.
The approach utilized by Parcell’s works to motivate pro league “adults.” But implementing that style at the college level — and, yeah, many coaches do — would not be remotely good for a young Pitt Panther team. Sh*t, look at Mathew’s and Porter, and whatever the hell is going on with Mason. With the latter “upperclassman,” I’d presume frustration (esp. with Collier and Brooks — alongside LaRod — getting the bulk of attention). And that’s just it with most all DW press conferences, there are those who receive honorable mentioned, and then there are those who are not mentioned at all. Further, when the media does inquire about certain players left out of discussion — i.e., (week 1, In: Panther All-Access press conf.) “How’s K. Cox looking at Corner (can you comment on his progress there? “…not good…he didn’t play well…real bad [actually]…”
So my take on DW is that he will/does in fact tell it like it is if put on the spot. Otherwise, he does not. (There’s not much point to it at this level; that is, IMO, not when talking to the press.) It would be a tremendous problem, however, if he didn’t bark at his players behind closed doors — and there’s plenty of evidence that he doesn’t support childlike behavior from any one of his players.
If you want talk about a REAL players’ coach, help yourself by comparing/contrasting with Jamie Dixon.
Anybody else feel the same way, or not, on this position?