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Gainesville, FL - Tuesday June 28, 2005
| Coach Meyer: Thanks for joining us today Gator fans, looking forward to chatting with you. |  |
| [Ryan] How is Chris Leak coming along with learning the new offense and does he seem comfortable yet in it? | |
| Coach Meyer: Chris Leak had a great spring and has a good grasp on the offense. He has also made tremendous strides as our field general. | |
| [FlyingGator] Hi Coach Meyer. How are you and your family enjoying Gainesville so far? | |
| Coach Meyer: It's great. Our kids like school and the community. | |
| [gogatorboy] Coach, how did the jump in the Champions Club from the first to the second quarter compare to what you saw at Utah and Bowling Green? Better than or worse than? | |
| Coach Meyer: It is very similar. The key is the upcoming third quarter.We need to be operating at 80-90 percent in the champions club for this quarter. | |
| [NapaValleyGator] Coach Meyer, Wyoming is receiving quite a bit of attention as a potentially dangerous team, perhaps this years Utah. Are you a little nervous playing them your first game and how do you plan on getting our guys ready? | |
| Coach Meyer: They are receiving our full attention. They beat UCLA in a bowl game, they have a great QB and a terrific coaching staff. | |
| [bernard] coach how is the progress of the team coming along during the summer and do you think the Gators will have a good season this year? | |
| Coach Meyer: Summer B just started on Monday and our guys are getting in the weight room this week. | |
| [jaxgator] Coach, what true freshman do you count on seeing the field a lot this season? | |
| Coach Meyer: Too early to tell, but linebacker and defensive back are an area where we have depth issues. It's too early to tell as to what freshmen will play. | |
| [NapaValleyGator] Will Chris Leak be running as much as Alex Smith from Utah in the new offense, and if not will this limit the productivity? | |
| Coach Meyer: We will don't anything to limit the productivity of the offense and a lot will depend on how a team plays us. | |
| [OrlGator] Coach, first off WELCOME! From what you've seen so far this spring do you feel we are going to have an aggressive, tough defense? What's your opinion of it to this point? | |
| Coach Meyer: The ability to plan man coverage will dictate how aggressive our defense will be. | |
| [Ga-TorCop] Welcome Coach, how's that humidity in Gainesville treating you--- a bit different than Utah..... | |
| Coach Meyer: We love it in Gainesville. | |
| [Ryan] Hawaii seems like a good opponent in a couple years. Who else could future Gator opponents be? Oklahoma, Miami, anybody at the front of the list? | |
| Coach Meyer: Jeremy Foley is coordinating the schedule. | |
| [HEEKGATOR] COACH, AS A GATOR GRAD, AND A FELLOW SIG, I'M MOST INTERESTED IN THE ACCOUNTABILITY YOU WISH TO INSTILL AMONGST THE PLAYERS. HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT INSTILLING A DEEP SENSE OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY WITHIN THE TEAM UNIT? THANKS, AND WELCOME TO THE GATOR NATION. | |
| Coach Meyer: We make it very clear to our players how we expect them to behave both on and off the field. If they don't they have to answer to the team. Peer pressure is the best form of accountability. | |
| [gatorcop] in your honest opinion coach, is the team as a whole ready to be back in the top 10, and possibly a BCS berth?? | |
| Coach Meyer: Way too early to tell. | |
| [JoeGator] Coach, young QB's and some older ones seem to have a REALLY hard time looking off of their receivers. How do you get them to stop this. Even my favorite player Leak seemed to lock in quite a bit during the O and B game and some last season. | |
| Coach Meyer: The more comfortable they are with the offense, the easier it will be for them to do. | |
| [gogatorboy] Before spring practice you seemed concerned about the running back position. How are Wynn, Manson and Thornton coming along? | |
| Coach Meyer: Still have a long way to go but they are making progress. We are really proud that Manson got a 4.0 last semester. | |
| [Gator in NC] Coach, what is the offensive position you feel that the Gators could use more depth on at this point? | |
| Coach Meyer: Offensive line. | |
| [GatorMike] Hi Coach! Thanks again for coming to speak to us in Atlanta. I wanted to know if you were talking to Chris Leak about the pre-season Heisman polls he's been named in. Is he taking it in stride, or does he think he's under a microscope? | |
| Coach Meyer: Chris Leak is mature enough to know that his focus has to be on Wyoming and leading the team-any other focus will be a distraction | |
| [Espo] Coach Meyer, Will we run any undercenter formations? or is our offense going to be completely out of the shotgun? | |
| Coach Meyer: We have under center plays. We will do what we have to do to move the ball. | |
| [D-Rod] Coach Meyer, Were you surprised at the number of women who attended the women's clinic this past weekend? Did you have a similar program at BG or Utah? | |
| Coach Meyer: We had something similar but the numbers here were outstanding in Gainesville. | |
| [gatorb] Coach, welcome to the Gator family! How are we looking at D-line this year. We were pushed around a bit last year. Go,Gators | |
| Coach Meyer: We have addressed that in our off season program and we want to be more physical. | |
| [Aaron] Coach, welcome to UF! In the spread offense, the TE puts up pretty big numbers. What do you (and can we) expect from Tate Casey and the other TEs this year? | |
| Coach Meyer: Tate Casey had a very good spring and a very good off season. If he continues to improve he will be an key part of our offense. | |
| [Ga-TorCop] There are allot of GATOR-FAN outside Florida, what we call, (deep in enemy territory), that welcome you and your family, and look forward to supporting you and all the Gators this year....it's tough being a Gator fan so far away...especially in Atlanta | |
| Coach Meyer: Thanks for your support | |
| [FlyingGator] Coach has the offseason progressed with the players as well as you had hoped? So far things look great from out here. Especially when compared to UT, UGA and S. Carolina. | |
| Coach Meyer: So far, so good. Phase I was very positive and Phase II is summer B - the most difficult part of the off season. | |
| [Major] Coach - can you explain your preference on the size of the DT's (skinny DT or Fat tackle) you would like to have in this scheme and why you prefer one over the other, if you do. | |
| Coach Meyer: We want them big and fast. We are a team that takes great pride in running to the football. | |
| [turn1200] Coach - can you give us any information on who we can expect to return kicks and punts? | |
| Coach Meyer: Too early to tell but we will address that during two a days. | |
| [ronny] the team ready to be handed to you yet? | |
| Coach Meyer: No not yet. August is when they need to be ready | |
| [gogatorboy] Coach, what's the quarterback situation looking like behind Chris Leak? Is Portis a sure redshirt or is there a chance he will play? What about Gavin Dickey, is he playing summer league baseball or will he be with the team in Gainesville? | |
| Coach Meyer: We haven't made a decision about the back up quarterback. All three are competing for the job. | |
| [Gator00] Coach, great to have you and yours here. As fans our expectations for next season range from practical to outrageous. I was just wondering what your specific expectations for this next year might be. What, if any, games do you have circled on the calendar as potential season-shapers? | |
| Coach Meyer: Right now we are focused on Wyoming and our goal is to be most well prepared team mentally and physically. | |
| [dallasgator] Coach, you're heavily recruiting Texas just as you said you would. Is there a chance you may come to speak at a Gator club in the Lone Star State next summer? | |
| Coach Meyer: We have discussed that. | |
| [Scott] Hey Coach, in watching the replays of the games from 2004, it was apparent that that the team lacked that killer instinct you need to be a champion. How do you go about motivating the players from that team, to learn be champions? | |
| Coach Meyer: It is a daily process to mentally and physically challenge your players. | |
| [gatorb] Coach, do have any hobbies activities you like to do away from football? | |
| Coach Meyer: I like to spend time with my family when I'm away from football. | |
| [Ryan] Great to have you as the new coach Urban. You are doing wonderful in all aspects. Keep up the good work and you will be rewarded this fall. Beat Tennessee badly if you get the chance. Thanks for your time. | |
| Coach Meyer: Thanks for your support. | |
| [gogatorboy] What's the deal with Jarvis Moss? Is he healthy and ready to play this year? | |
| Coach Meyer: He is training with our players. | |
| [Randy] Thanks for having the chat coach. How do you see the progressing to the new systems and the new discipline you have installed? | |
| Coach Meyer: We are moving in the right direction but we are not there yet. | |
| [Knife Knarrsuls] Will we be doing anything different for the 100th year of Gator football? I've heard we may have throwback helmets for one game. Any truth to this? | |
| Coach Meyer: We have some special plans for the 100th year of Gator football and our Marketing and Promotions department is heading up this effort. | |
| [UrbanGator] Hey Coach! Thanks for coming on and talking to the GatorNation!! My question to you is, what do you think about our Rivals that say this offense is a gimmick? | |
| Coach Meyer: We take great pride in taking care of the football, having a balanced offense and scoring in the red zone. | |
| [eplind] Coach, what has been most astonishing to you about the GatorNation and fan base? | |
| Coach Meyer: The passion and intensity. | |
| [ldgator] Coach, at this time, who is the odds on favorite to start at the H-Back position? | |
| Coach Meyer: Chad Jackson. | |
| [g8rldy] Our defense has been so strong in the past. How do you rate them now? | |
| Coach Meyer: We are working on being more physical. | |
| [Mike in SC] Coach, I am a Gator in Charleston,SC, and I want to tell you how pleased and excited I am that you are at the helm of the football team. All the best to you, your family and the Gators. My wife and I will be in our seats for the home opener. GO GATORS! | |
| Coach Meyer: Thanks for the support. | |
| [steviebgator] Coach, How successful has Chris Leak been in getting his receivers to join him while studying film? How has he progressed as a leader? Thanks. | |
| Coach Meyer: Chris has made great strides as a leader. | |
| [NapaValleyGator] Coach, there have been rumors of changing our uniforms, is there any plan to alter them in any way? | |
| Coach Meyer: We have not finalized anything yet. | |
| [JoeGator] Coach, I hear Nyan Boateng has like a 45 inch vertical. How about sending him to the corner of the endzone and having Chris toss the ball straight up in the air, let Nyan out jump everyone? | |
| Coach Meyer: Nyan Boateng, like all freshmen, will have to compete for the chance to play. | |
| [bgator40] What have you and your family enjoyed the most about living in Gainesville | |
| Coach Meyer: The community. | |
| [nastyreptile] What do you see as the biggest difference, if any, between the Gator team you have and your two previous teams, outside of talent? | |
| Coach Meyer: Leadership and team chemistry. | |
| [chuck] Coach, congratulations on the early commitments. What are the chances of recruiting some of the big Somoans that you had at Utah? | |
| Coach Meyer: NCAA rules don't allow us to comment on early commitments. | |
| [Espo] Coach, is DeShawn Wynn looking to be the starting running back? And do you see us having a QB rotation or are you looking to just start one QB the whole game? | |
| Coach Meyer: The running back job is wide open and we will use more than one quarterback at times. | |
| [Diane] First I would like to thank you for the Women's Football camp this past Saturday. Will there be more to follow? | |
| Coach Meyer: We plan on making the women's clinic and annual event. | |
| [UrbanGator] Coach, Is Reggie Nelson in and if so, do you see him getting early playing time? Thanks! | |
| Coach Meyer: Like all incoming players, it is too early to tell about playing time. | |
| [gatorcop] Coach, the Gators weren't as explosive on Offense the last couple of years as Gator fans are used to. After evaluating the talent you have to work with, do you think they can be explosive this year??? Welcome to UF. | |
| Coach Meyer: It depends. We will need to be a balanced offense and need to have the ability to run the football. | |
| [riccochet] Welcome Coach, How do you see our freshman class as contributors to this season? | |
| Coach Meyer: Too early to tell. We look forward to getting them out on the field. | |
| [JoeGator] Coach, besides yourself ;) who is the fastest guy on the team? | |
| Coach Meyer: Dee Webb and Andre Caldwell are two of the fastest guys on the team. | |
| [gogators1979] How confident are you that our running backs are doing the things needed to have a great season? | |
| Coach Meyer: They are working hard in the off season. | |
| [UrbanGator] Coach, will Emmitt Smith be at the game vs.. Wyoming? | |
| Coach Meyer: We will have a former player tunnel for the first game of the season and welcome back all former Gators to participate in this. | |
| [Randy] Coach, do you think it is an advantage that you have played Wyoming twice with Utah ? | |
| Coach Meyer: We have seen them live, but they have also seen us live. | |
| [gatorb] Coach, tell me some good news about our kicking game. | |
| Coach Meyer: I hope we don't have to punt much, but we have two very talented punters in Eric Wilbur and Nick Fleming. Hopefully we score a lot of TDs so we don't have to kick field goals. We had four guys competing in the spring for the kicking job and have a incoming freshman that will have a chance to compete for the job. | |
| [Crews] Coach Meyer, I heard at the Women's Clinic coaches were saying Chad Jackson might be in the NFL after next season... do you expect him to have that great of a season? | |
| Coach Meyer: Chad has the ability to make big plays. | |
| [Evan] Hello Coach Meyer, what are your thoughts on a playoff system in college football and the recent media poll situation? | |
| Coach Meyer: There is not a perfect system in place and I'm not sure unless you have a playoff you will have a true champion. | |
| [Troup] Coach, What do you think of having to coach opposite Spurrier in SC | |
| Coach Meyer: I have a lot of respect for Coach Spurrier and what he has done for college football. | |
| [UrbanGator] Coach Meyer, which of the freshman WR's do you see playing this year? | |
| Coach Meyer: It is too early to tell. | |
| [Scott] Hi Coach and welcome....I know you were actively working at getting the alumni back involved with the program and I wondered what kind of feedback you received from current or recent NFL, Gator alum? | |
| Coach Meyer: We've had great feedback from our former players. | |
| [UrbanGator] Coach, how is Marcus Thomas doing? | |
| Coach Meyer: Marcus Thomas is working hard and is healthy. He is doing great. | |
| [Major] Coach can you explain your philosophy on the receivers being physical against the DBs? Is part of their job to basically beat up the DBs to wear them out for later in the game? | |
| Coach Meyer: We want our best players to have the ball in their hands. | |
| Coach Meyer: Thanks for joining us today, I look forward to seeing everyone in The Swamp. Go Gators! | |
