Transcript of quarterback Mark Sanchez's news conference following the Jets' Thursday morning training camp practice at SUNY Cortland:
On how practice was today…
It was pretty good. I felt like we came out and executed pretty well in short yardage and third down and then when we got to the goal line I felt like that went pretty well. So I felt overall it was a pretty good day as an offense and I felt like we did some good things.
On practicing a different element of his game today…
You know, it's fun. I feel like it turns into a little bit more of real football when you can go live and you can go down to the goal line and play a little bit and in short yardage I think that's different, just an added bonus, and it's a lot of fun.
On his comfort level in the shotgun…
I think because I've done it my whole life, it's just something that comes extremely naturally to me and something that I feel like I don't really practice much anymore. For the most part it's under center, it's play-action drops, it's really nothing in the gun.
On the attitude of the offense…
I think the attitude is great. I think guys are working really hard. I think guys are enthusiastic, they're passionate, they want to go out there and earn their spots and find their role on this team and contribute. And I think that goes for everybody on the offense, it's a really good room right now.
On if Coach Ryan talked to the players about what they say to the media…
He hasn't really talked to us too much. We had a team meeting the other day and just talked a little bit about it, but it's nothing that's really been talked about that much at all.
On how irritating it is to hear a tone go off while throwing…
Well, I didn't even know that was something that was happening until it went off. I think it's good. You have to have awareness and I think that it also changes based on the play and how many are rushing and what the coverage is and things like that, so there's a lot of variables that go with it.
On knowing when he's holding onto the ball too long…
I think in that drill, that's a drill where you want to work on getting it out quick, on making a quick read, on making a quick decision, and more in scrimmages and games, that's when you can do everything else. But that drill you have a thought process of, this is what I'm working on, I want to make a quick read, I want to get it out, I want to be accurate, and let's move on to the next play. So it's just a drill that we've been working on.
On if he thinks the offense earned the black jerseys…
I don't know, I felt like we did some good things and I'm just glad I don't have to be the one to make any decisions like that. I don't get paid enough.
On if the goal line drills encourage him and made him excited for the Green & White scrimmage…
It was fun. I don't know if it got me more excited. I think it was just fun to go out there and play some real football and really have a chance to score a touchdown. To me, when you're just in practice, if it's a 10-yard pass or if it's a touchdown, we don't really look at it any differently. But in that situation, when you are counting if it's a touchdown or it's not, I think it puts a little more pressure on you and I like that.
On what he can apply from the success on the goal-line to other situations…
I think it's just based on situations and the game plan and what we're trying to accomplish, just the execution. If we execute it right we believe it will work. So I think now it's just a good shot of that, of us executing against a tough look and a great defense and something that will do some good things.
On if he received any additional marketing opportunities in New York…
I don't think so, not really. I mean, certain ones but nothing that I feel like I've accepted or started since.
On his endorsements…
I have Jockey, FRS, Nike, and I just recently signed with Soul. I've been talking to them for a while, but it's just now carrying out. So it's pretty cool.
On if endorsement opportunities played a factor in him wanting to play in New York…
No, as far as just the marketing and negotiation-wise, no it didn't really play into anything. You know, it's a big market and that's great, but it's really something that I'm not worried about. If I believe in a product and they believe in me then I think there can be some great relationships. But I like really believing in the products that I endorse, so it's authentic and it's genuine and it's real and I feel like I have that.
On if he thinks there are enough playmakers in this offense to be successful…
I feel like there are a lot of playmakers in this offense. I think the exciting thing is that you don't always know. Every day there are other guys stepping up and making plays and which guy out there is going to be the next Santonio Holmes, which guy is going to be the next Dustin Keller, because those guys, they're there and they're working and it's just exciting to see that competitive excellence. When one of those guys' number is called in the preseason and the regular season who is going to step up and make those plays and that's what it's all about. It's when you're number is called, step up and make that play, and I think the exciting thing is that there a lot of guys who have the talent. It's just going to be fun to see what happens and who really steps up.
On if all of the receiver injuries have made things more difficult…
I think to get more reps, get timing with a lot of guys. Sometimes that can hurt, but that's also training camp. It's long, it's a lot of running, and it's a lot of stress on your body. So you're going to have guys with tightness, with pulls, with little tweaks, but we have a great training staff and they do a great job getting guys back quickly and I think just taking care of your body is huge as well.
On Coach Ryan telling the defense he is eligible to be tackled on the goal-line…
It was fun. It brought a little smile to my face and it was just fun to play football again. I guess that's really the easiest way for me to put it, it just turns into real football.
On the best team bonding experience in Cortland so far…
Probably just everything. Being together 24/7. Eating every meal together and having team meetings. When we have off time, spending it together. Getting to know guys that maybe when you're leaving the facility and you're going home, you're not going to spend as much time talking to. I think that's a cool thing about going away to camp. You're put in more of a position to force you to have to get to know everybody and that's why I think coming to a place like Cortland is awesome.
On taking the direct snap and running it in for a touchdown…
That was just something where we had a little shift and brought a little motion as a fake and Joe [McKnight] is a pretty good decoy. He won't always be that decoy because he's pretty fast as well. I just faked it and ran a little power play inside. The offensive line did a great job and it was pretty easy on me.
On the offense taking black jerseys back from the defense…
I don't know. I feel like we did a pretty good job. It'll be exciting to see what happens.
On being excited for the Green & White scrimmage …
Yeah, absolutely, that'll be fun. I look forward to it.
On if he misses hitting…
I don't know if I would miss it. I look forward to going out and running, making plays, do what you can do in games. Sometimes hitting is a part of it, but I don't necessarily just miss it. I'm a quarterback and that's what I'm working on and preparing to be and improving at. I feel like that's just something else that can be an added bonus.
On the goal-line offense…
Yeah, I feel like I've done that once or twice. It comes pretty natural. It was fun. I feel like as an offense, we did a good job down there in short yardage and goal line. We did some things really well, some things we have to get better at, but we're also going against a very good defense that makes a lot of plays and I feel to have that much success shows some good signs for our offense.
On if he feels unstoppable inside the 5-yard line…
I feel like Coach Sparano has great schemes. We have a great offensive line, a lot of different looks with backs from speed backs to power backs with Shonn [Greene] and Joe [McKnight] and other guys. I think you can have a lot of different looks down there that can keep defenses off balance for sure.
On if he would be OK being a goal-line quarterback…
Whatever they want me to do, you know I'm going to do it.
On if he sees being a goal-line quarterback as his role…
We'll see. If that's something they want me to do, I'll be more than happy to do it and try to do it to the best of my ability and hopefully do a pretty good job with it.
On if his goal-line draw for a touchdown is a play in the Wildcat offense…
Sort of, yeah. It just looks like there's more gadgets and gizmos. It's really just a power play but with the shift and with the motion you can really stretch the defense horizontally. They think, we have to play speed sweep and they widen. Joe is a great threat, and just being able to give a quick token fake helps get up inside. The offensive line did a great job so it's easy for me.
On if he was touched during his goal line run…
A little bit, but nothing too bad.
On his reaction to Coach Ryan yelling "Tebow is live" before his goal-line snaps…
I just got a little smile on. I thought it was going to be fun because right before that, Coach Sparano told me to keep it on the bootleg. So when he said I was live, that made me smile because if you're not then if you do score they're like, "Oh, we would have tackled you." It was fun.
On if practice doesn't showcase what he does best…
I feel like hopefully I'm at my best in games. I want to be a gamer, someone who performs under the lights, someone who performs when it really matters. Ultimately it comes down to 16 weeks and that's it. You prepare, all these practices and all of the offseason for 16 weeks. So for those 16 days you want to be at your best and ultimately I hope I'm at my best on those 16 days and those three hours on each Sunday or Thursday or Monday night or whatever it is. So hopefully I'm at my best in games but I believe I am becoming, and want to become, a better practice player, continue to improve at every trait, every skill, every attribute. But hopefully I will still be at my best in games.
On if he feels that wearing the red jersey in practice limits him from avoiding a sack the way that he would in a game…
Sometimes you do because that's just your competitive nature coming out. For me that's my competitive nature and you always believe you can make something happen. Sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes that's not. Sometimes it can be a little bit frustrating because you think, I could've gotten that pass off or I could've gotten out of that. But I think in these drills, in these scrimmages and these practices, you just have to practice that. In a game, that will come naturally, that'll happen. In this you want to be able to take the checkdown and get it out quick before you get touched, before it even becomes close.
On why he hasn't requested to take the red jersey off for practice…
I have to just continue to work on everything that are weaker points for me, continue to work on all those things. From my under-center drops to my play actions to the things that I haven't done my whole life. So let's work on those. The other things, they'll come naturally when the time comes.
On being a goal-line quarterback early in his time at Florida…
Yeah, short yardage, special plays, sometimes it would be for drives. A lot of goal-line, a lot of red-area. I had a lot of opportunities to play in a lot of different big moments, key moments. Fourth downs, big games, big drives, and I think my freshman year that really helped me just as far as the experience of being in those big plays and being able to realize what those moments were like so, when I came back my sophomore year I felt like I was a lot more prepared and ready to go.
On if this was the first time he's ever had a coach say that he was live during training camp…
Yes sir. [laughter]
On how it felt to be live… I kind of liked it. It was fun. It's been a while. New England last year.
