Donnie Henderson will make a return to the Meadowlands Sunday as a visitor. Henderson spent the previous two seasons as the Jets defensive coordinator before joining the Lions during the off-season. First-year Detroit head coach Rod Marinelli has know Henderson for close to 30 years.
"I coached Donnie in college at Utah State, so I know all about him," Marinelli said. "He is as ornery now as he was then. The one thing he brings to me is a tremendous loyalty. He is an extremely loyal guy, an extremely tough guy, very demanding and built on fundamentals and all those things I want. I couldn't be happier."
Read below for Marinelli's complete transcript
Detroit Head Coach Rod Marinelli, 10.18
On DT Shaun Rogers' suspension…
It is a suspension through the NFL.
On how it will impact the defense and the rest of the team…
We talked about that this morning. We've had injuries this and how we've handled those things is we just move on, put this behind us, we move on. What it's done is it creates an opportunity for another player. We coach them all the same and I believe there is a certain standard that I want and the next guy is going to get that opportunity and move up to that standard.
On Rogers being able to appeal and play this week…
It started this week.
On the momentum from getting the first win…
There is a lot you build off of. We were building off the losses too. But in terms of the fundamentals I just get right back to that and you make your corrections each and every week on the details. We're starting to do some things right, but the biggest thing is we've had four games in the fourth quarter where we should have won or had an opportunity to win and we didn't do it and last week we did. That's the biggest part you learn to build upon is learning how to finish a game.
On similarities between Laveranues Coles and Roy Williams…
They're both good, that's where it starts. They're both talented, very, very good. They're both outstanding athletes in good offenses and both should give credit to their offensive line and their quarterback. Roy is a special player. The guy is becoming a precision route runner under Mike Martz and he's feeding off this offense right now. He'll be good if we can run the football.
On QB Jon Kitna…
I'm a big Kitna fan. He's somebody I really pursued aggressively in the off-season. What he brings is special to me in terms of veteran leadership and toughness to his position. I want toughness at the position. He has a good enough arm and he's got a great mind. It's really a nice match, Mike Martz and him, because the mental gymnastics they can play together are incredible. He can really pick up everything Mike throws at him, and he's tough, that's what I admire, his leadership and his toughness.
On LB Ernie Sims…
He's progressing very well. He is an explosive player. He doesn't stop from snap 'til whistle, you'll enjoy watching this guy. He's a lot like your guy (Jonathan) Vilma. He plays hard, he's energetic and that's one of the reasons it was so important to me to get this guy in our system, into our franchise, because he's a non-stop, full speed, every snap player. Bright guy, who just loves football, you have to yank him off the practice field.
On Jonathan Vilma in the 3-4 as opposed to the 4-3…
I've seen him in both and he's really a special player. His awareness and his instincts for the ball are special. There's a reason they've played good defense up there over the years with this guy. I know a lot about it because we really looked hard at him when he was coming out.
On WR Devale Ellis…
He's a young guy coming up and all he's done, which I admire is, from the first day here is work. He came in, we had a rookie mini-camp, and we were looking for some other receivers to come in and help us, he comes on that field and he's just fast, and productive and smart and tough. He went through camp the same way and he got on our practice squad and did the same thing. We had an opportunity to put him up and we did and he's just showing us things each and every day. He is a hard-nosed, tough young player that we really like.
On WR Mike Furrey…
I love guys like that. That's who I am, and you give opportunities to men like that. He's come in and all he does is catch everything that's thrown to him. He is as precise as Mike wants him to be. So much of our offense is based on timing and precision and running full speed every down and he does that. He blocks, he's tough, he's on special teams and he's a team football player. You give guys like that opportunities and he's taken that opportunity and run with it.
On defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson…
I coached Donnie in college at Utah State, so I know all about him. He's as ornery now as he was then. The one thing he brings to me is a tremendous loyalty. He is an extremely loyal guy, an extremely tough guy, very demanding and built on fundamentals and all those things I want. I couldn't be happier.
On how fired up he will be to face the Jets…
Hopefully, as he's preparing this, he just preparing this defense to be the best that they can be. Not worrying about what environment were in, where were going, that shouldn't be a factor. The factor is getting this defense ready.
On evaluating Coach Mangini so far this season…
He's done a heck of a job. Very creative, that's what I see. The guy understands who he is and he's done a nice job with it. I respect the job he's doing.
On the Detroit Lions under him…
A team that I don't look very far down the road. I stay day by day and I understand exactly what I'm looking for, every day in practice. That's my whole theme right there, is we're going to build this with fundamentals, with effort, with toughness and when you're doing that, you stay in the present and that's what I plan on doing.
On following the other first year head coaches around the league…
No.
On having coordinators in the booth or on the field…
Number one is where they're most comfortable, to do their job the best. They both feel that they like the sideline, which I would prefer, because I would like them to look in the eyes of the players that they're coaching. When they're coming off the field, if there's a little panic or something going on they can look at them. They see the same eyes and hear the same voice as they do in practice all week.
On what Donnie brings to the sideline…
The pumped up stuff is good, but I'm hoping he brings the intensity to do your job. The focus and the attention to detail, that's what I'm looking for. And to make corrections on the sideline and demand excellence.
On drawing inspiration from the Detroit Tigers…
No. The Tigers are playing great, great baseball and they're in the World Series. We have to worry about what we do. We can't allow anything else to affect how we do it, positively or negatively. We have to take care of our own business, man up and do our own work.
