July 26, 2012

Jon Kirby

We have the entire Q&A from Weis during the session where he talks about several topics regarding Kansas football.

Q: Coach you go from Florida to Kansas. What's it like to live in the state?

Weis: As a coach it's more about your family because you really don't care. I've been in hot, I've been in cold I mean you really don't care. We're going to work the same time of the day and you're going home the same time everyday and most of the time you are in the office. Except for a few hours a day that you're outside at practice so it really doesn't make that much of a difference to you.

It's really about your family and how happy can they be. We're all over the country ? we got places in Flordia? we're in South Bend ? we're here in Lawrence? I still got a place in Parkville (MO) in case you want a place in Missouri I got a place over there from my time with the Chiefs. We're kind of all over the place but our family all centers around getting my daughter situated best. You know I've got a daughter with special needs okay that's 17 years old and really I don't count. It's what is best for Hannah and we go on from there.

Q: Noticed in the media guide a couple of minor changes. Tevinn Shaw to safety ? I know he played that in high school too is he there to stay?

Weis: Well Tevin I told him that he would start fairly far down on the running back depth chart but he would start very high up on the safety depth chart so I asked him where he wanted to play b/c he's one of those guys who's been an All-State type of player at both positions so I gave him the choice. I did not do it. Based off of the depth we have in the secondary you could put yourself on the field a lot quicker. I said you can do which ever you want but I also said you can start on one and if that doesn't work out you can flip over to the other so I know Tevin want to put himself in position to get out on the field the fastest.

Q: Same thing with Randall Dent ? I mean we finally learn the identity of that other offensive lineman you were talking about.

Weis: See Randal was an offensive lineman playing defensive line. That's what he was. He's a powerful guy that was tailor-made to be a guard so that's what he's now playing. And so I would have not moved him and Lewandowski over to offense if I didn't actually think they could compete to actually play. Now whether they start or whether they are second team that's not important ? they'll be in the hunt. The important thing is making sure that you put as many players in the hunt to play because more players are happy when they are competitively involved and putting themselves in position to play.

Q: You brought Toben here today. What are the expectations for him this season?

Weis: When I put out the official depth chart this week Toben will be listed as defensive end slash 'Sam' linebacker because this league is so much of an in-space league you have to get athletic guys playing the defensive end position because you know if not your up the creek without a paddle there are occasional teams that just want to pound it down your throat right there and when you do that you have to get big and when you do that he now becomes an undersized defensive end and then he's more suited to play linebacker.

Q: Did you ever see any tape on him playing running back?

Weis: I recruited him to Notre Dame playing running back. That's what I was recruiting him as. Don't be surprised on goal line, short yardage situations to see him on offense.

Q: Have you talked to him about that?

Weis: Had I no? But don't be surprised to see him there. I hadn't used any offensive guys on defense, or defensive guys on offense. But there will be guys on both sides of the ball don't be surprised to see Duane Zlatnik play an interior guy on goal-line defense either. You have to wait until you have the bodies before you can do this kind of stuff but we'll see how it goes.

Q: Is there any notion to move Toben to running back?

Weis: He's one of our better defensive players I don't need a running back I need defensive linemen.

Q: Speaking of that you said last month when we met in your office you thought everyone would report.

Weis: There's a couple guys. I have two junior college guys left that are supposed to be done on July 29th. Now the junior colleges said the class might go until August 9th. So it isn't because they aren't in place. They are in place to be done on the 29th but there are two of them that it might take a week or two but it's not because they aren't going to be here.

You know you are at the mercy of the junior colleges. It's not like you have control over it. They are tentatively scheduled to be done July 29th. I'm betting against it in both cases right here, but July 29th allows them to get there on Aug. 1 so we have plenty of time.

Q: on rule changes in college football. Any of them strike your fancy?

Weis: I think the biggest rule change is the kickoff being moved to the 35-yard line. I think there will be a lot more touchbacks. You know I know you'll also get the ball on the 20-yard line but I think there will be a lot more touchbacks.

Q: Do you like that change?

Weis: Well I think they are just trying a lot more to take the kickoff out of play. You know I think that there have been so many people injured on kickoffs I think that's the way they are trying to do it.

Q: Does that hurt a guy like a DJ Beashers?

Weis: I don't think there will be no returns I just think there will be less returns.

Q: You talked about getting help on the defensive line and with a couple of the juco guys still coming in and maybe a little bit late. Do you still anticipate them being able to help you out?

Weis: Oh no they'll make plays. They'll play. You've got to remember though with a lot of stuff on defense we'll have to keep simple in the beginning anyways because there are so many new guys coming I mean even the guys that are here and ready to go they still haven't been coached by our coaches yet.

They weren't able to coach them during spring ball so the first time they hear them coach them is going to be Aug. 2. You know so if they came on August 7th it's a five day difference they are still going to be going through a crash course. But there isn't anyone that isn't going to be ready to go by Sept. 1.

Q: Does Fall camp take on a different feel with the amount of new guys. Does it feel more like a spring environment?

Weis: For (Dave) Campo. (laughing) For Campo and Buddy Wyatt in particular I think that's the case but there will be a couple guys on offense that get into the mix in a hurry. I mean Ragone and Charles Brooks could get in the mix in a hurry. Josh Ford could get in the mix in a hurry. Taylor Cox could get in the mix in a hurry.

You know there are a lot of guys that could get in the mix in a hurry but they are going to get in the mix. But with the defensive line these guys? there's guys that are going to be a couple days late that could be starting on Sept. 1.

I'm not penalizing them if the junior college moves back the class a couple days late. It's not like they have committed a sin. They moved the class a few days later.

Q: We've had three straight years of a different champion. Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State. Before that it was just Texas and Oklahoma taking turns is that good that the league is showing some signs of parody and we can get more teams going at the chance of the title?

Weis: Well throw the two teams we just brought into the league now too. They brought in West Virginia and you sit there and think, 'My God.' You know and then TCU we know they've been stout for a whole bunch of years. I know were we are in this whole pecking order that everybody sees here's the good teams looking down to Kansas on the bottom.

But the bottom line is we aren't going to be one of those teams that you are just going to roll into Lawrence and say, 'Okay we've got an easy 'W' and say let's go roll up on the Jayhawks and go onto the next one.' I think it kind of gives me a psychological advantage to tell you the truth. You mean to tell me teams are going to be getting up to play the Jayhawks? From my standpoint all the good teams that are in the hunt now from the beginning gives me an advantage hopefully someday I'm not that person we are talking bout that has that psychological advantage that we are talking about by being the underdog every week.

Q: Spent quite a bit of time this summer getting out and talking with people like us and talking to the fans. Is there any type of momentum that can carry over from that when the real football starts next week?

Weis: I make sure to throw some window dressing so the fans stay in it and stuff like that. I think it's important as you lay out training camp when you have business when you have to attend to. Now this is all business now. Cause you think Aug. 20 school starts then you go to a 20 hour work week- on Aug. 20 it goes to 20 hours- so now you have 20 hours okay from Aug 2nd to Aug 20th that's a limited time frame that you have to deal with.

But I think you have to sprinkle in things. I'm going to have a practice where the fans can come. It's against my religion to do that, okay? So obviously if the fans come I'm going to have to let the media come and see practice. Okay so I'm going to have a whole practice and people will end up being there. Now I hope it rains all day and we have to go to Allen Fieldhouse and then we have to nix it. But right now if the weather is nice that day we are going to have to have it. You have to keep those things in there to peak the interest that you have. Right now you have a job to do and the job you have to do is get your team ready for Sept. 1. That's what you have to do.

Q: Do you sense that people view KU football any differently than they did six months ago?

Weis: Yeah they do but we haven't played a game yet. They do because I brought some credibility. Campo brought some credibility. Dayne (Crist) brought some credibility. There's people that brought credibility but until you play a game it still comes down to playing the game. If we go stink it up against South Dakota State all that momentum you've built will evaporate in a hurry so you to try to keep the momentum going. And I think that's part of our job keeping the momentum going.

Q: When you look at last year do you pay any more attention to the brighter spots against Texas Tech or the first three quarters against Baylor? Or do you sort of see what we can and carry over to the next year?

Weis: I didn't watch any of their tape until spring ball was over because I've been trained you go by what you see and if you would have watched it before hand you would have had some pre-conceived notions on the players and what they can and can not do.

Now going back you could see a handful of games that they should have won but the bottom line is there are too many games they are getting the crap kicked out them and those are the ones that I'm concerned with first. When half of your games you are losing by 30 or more I mean that's the ones I'm worrying about. I'm worrying about all of them just the same but who is a fan of a team wants to go to a game and say, 'oh we're going to get smothered on this one. There's no chance.' Who wants to go to a game?

Remember now my expectations are a lot higher than your but if they weren't they hired the wrong coach. Because listen I could look at it like this. Okay I'm here with the media so if we go out there and win four that's double what we won last year. Just play to that right now and most of the fans would consider that okay we are moving in the right direction. But what coach in their right mind would say, 'god if we could only win four this year.' That might be the way it turns out but who is ever going to think like that?

What competitive coach is ever going to think like that? So I'm not going to go out and say what I think but I obviously can't be thinking like that because if I was then they should have hired somebody else.