4/18/2003 - Football
Paul Johnson Press Conference For Friday, April 18

Transcript of Navy head football coach Paul Johnson Press Conference Following Practice on Friday, April 18, 2003

Q. How is the defense coming along?

A. It?s going. There are always things you would like to be better at, everywhere. We have to make a lot of improvement everywhere.

Q. Do you think the defense is further along now than they were last year at this time?

A. We are further along as a team than we were last spring because we have guys who have done it. Defensively we still have some carryover from a year ago; it?s not all new. Hopefully we are further along. I think they understand what the coaches are looking for. Are we where we need to be? No, but we are working to get there.

Q. Can you talk about why it?s harder to improve defensively than it is offensively?

A. I don?t know that it is. I think it varies from team to team. You will see some teams improve more defensively than offensively. We have to improve everywhere. There?s no secret we have to get better everywhere. Certainly we have to get better on offense and defense; it?s just not one side.

Q. Isn?t it kind of true that you can?t fool people on defense like you can on offense?

A. I think you have to be able to line up and play a sound base defense. Sometimes there are certain teams that can get away with things because of athletic ability, but we aren?t going to get away with a lot of things. We have to do things right. It?s the same thing on offense. What you have to do is try and find a scheme that best utilizes who you have.

Q. Anybody impress you this spring?

A. Yeah, we?ve had some guys that have done some good things.

Q. Anybody you want to name?

A. Eddie Carthan (outside linebacker) has had a good spring and so has Bobby McClarin (inside linebacker) on defense. Offensively, Nick Wilson (tackle) has gotten much better. He played a little bit last year. I?m pleased with Lionel Wesley (wide receiver) and Eric Roberts? (slot back) work habits. They have gotten way better. Those guys have done a nice job.

Q. How is Kevin Schwind doing?

A. Kevin?s doing good. He?s been out of contact; he hasn?t done any contact drills this spring. He?s just kind of playing himself back into it right now.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about his situation last year?

A. He got hurt and had major surgery and was in a wheelchair so he couldn?t get around to class. It became a burden on him to try and get to class. The best thing for him to do medically was to withdrawal from school. He was falling behind. So that?s what he did, he withdrew from school and sat out the semester and then came back in January.

Q. Is that what you were talking about when you said some things need to change here to give the football team a chance to win?

A. That?s certainly going to help us, but I think that was done more for Kevin medically and school wise than it was done for anything else. It served no purpose to keep him here and try to wheelchair to class and get farther and farther behind. He will be a semester behind his class and will be able to play that last semester.

Q. From a football standpoint are you pleased?

A. Oh yeah, I?m pleased it worked out that way for football but also for him so he could keep up in school.