John Fox Denver Broncos Super Bowl Media Day Quotes

QUOTES FROM DENVER BRONCOS MEDIA DAY

HEAD COACH JOHN FOX

(on weather being a factor on Super Bowl Sunday) “We’re kind of weatherproof. We live in an area where we’ve had all the elements. We’ve played in single digit. We’ve played in snow. We’ve played in wind. Like both teams, you’ve got to manage the elements.”

(on how QB Peyton Manning will deal with the weather) “I think Peyton Manning wins, really, regardless. He’s won as much as most players have played the game, so we’re real confident that he’ll manage the elements just fine.”

(on dealing with injuries during the season) “I think we had players and coaches injured. I was one of them. I’m really glad I’m here.”

(on what his time with the New York Giants meant to him) “You kind of are what you’ve been around and I’ve been very blessed to be around a lot of tremendous coaches, owners, and general managers. My time with the Giants … to be with Wellington Mara and Robert Tisch to see them basically every day… George Young, Ernie Accorsi; a lot of really good football people that you learn from it, and you watch how they handle different situations. I was very blessed to spend my five years there with some outstanding people.”

(on what he thinks about Peyton Manning’s road to this year’s Super Bowl) “I think it is remarkable. A year ago, I thought might have been the most remarkable, and to miss a whole football season with four separate neck surgeries, to come to a new city at the quarterback position, which I think might be the hardest position to change teams, and have the kind of season he had a year ago, was truly remarkable. To build on that, and to have the kind of season he’s had to this point this year I think is unprecedented.”

(on how he thought defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio handled the team in his absence) “I think Jack, the staff, and the players did a great job. This team has been through a lot. They’re very calloused. We’ve lost some tremendous players along the way. They went 3-1 in the third quarter of our season, which I thought was remarkable and gave us an opportunity to finish off the fourth quarter and make the playoffs to close out the season. Like I said, the team has been through a lot and the staff and the players did a great job managing that.”

(on what the ideal temperature to play in the Super Bowl) “We get paid to adjust. We play football. We play football in a lot of different elements. We play in venues like this indoors. We play it outside in snow. You name it; we do it. So I don’t know that there is such thing that there is an ideal temperature, but we’re ready to deal with anything. I think we’re weatherproof.”

(on having to adjust practice in any way leading up to the Super Bowl) “Not really, other than there’s a lot more green (N.Y. Jets colors) around our facility than orange, with where we’re at right now. But it’s a tremendous and beautiful facility.”

(on the current state of his health) “The first thing I say is I’m 150 percent better than I was prior to my surgery. I had, I don’t know, what they called aortic stenosis, which is my valve collapsed. So I had the valve the size of a pinhead, and now it’s the size of a quarter. I feel better. I feel way healthier than I did nine, 10 weeks ago.”

(on what Super Bowl experience means to the team) “Really, there’s nothing like experience. So I think it lets us make our players aware of what to expect. The Broncos organization has been five times, so as an organization, as a coaching staff, and really as a group of players, we feel like we’re pretty well prepared.

(on what his wife meant to him as he was recovering from his surgery) “The only thing that comes to mind the most has been my wife. She was my nursemaid for four straight weeks, and she did a tremendous job managing my family, managing, really, my profession and above and beyond, managing me. She was a star in this one for sure.”

(on what the team did when they first arrived to New Jersey) “Basically, it was a review. We installed our whole game plan last week. Obviously, we’ll start tweaking that tomorrow, but we basically had a good review, got familiar with the Jets facility, where everything was, and kind of managed the trip to and from our hotel. I think just basically introduced our team to their new facility.”

(on what he thought of the old Denver Broncos facility, which is currently undergoing renovations) “It was a tremendous facility. Our ops guys are not real excited about that, but we’re making some great additions to our facility out there in Denver. We’re building a new field house. Our owner, Pat Bowlen, has put a pretty substantial amount to upgrade our facility.”

(on how Peyton Manning has adjusted to the offense the past two seasons) “I would definitely say a part of coaching is putting your players in positions to have success, and in Peyton’s case, he’s added some plays that he had run in the past and had been very successful with. I think Adam Gase, our offensive coordinator, has done a tremendous job of growing that from what Peyton was used to and now, two years later, Peyton is pretty used to all of the new additions. So it’s really a combination of both.”

(on what the new additions to the offense have meant to Peyton Manning this season) “I think John Elway and the personnel staff have done a tremendous job. We replaced a perennial Pro Bowl left tackle in Ryan Clady with Chris Clark, who has done a tremendous job. We’re on our third center. Manny Ramirez has done a tremendous job. Wes Welker, as you mentioned… Louis Vasquez is the starting right guard that we picked up out of San Diego. We’ve added a lot of new pieces to the puzzle, and I think they’ve done a pretty good job thus far.”

(on telling his team to enjoy the Super Bowl) “Enjoy the experience. It’s a very hard game to get to, but at the end of the game the object is to win. We’re on a business trip. You can enjoy it, and it doesn’t really have to be spring break. So I think they’ve done a pretty good job with that up until now.”

(on learning anything from his 2003 Super Bowl experience with the Carolina Panthers) “Yeah. That it’s no fun to lose. As I’ve said all year long, even last year with our disappointing loss to Baltimore in the divisional round, there’s only one happy camper at the end of this. It’s not like college football, where there’s multiple bowl winners and that kind of thing. Like all games, it’s going to be about the preparation, and usually the most prepared team performs, and the team that performs best wins.”

(on how tough it is to play this game at the highest level) “I think we’re blessed to do something against the best in the world at what we do, so I think it’s tough for everybody. It’s a tough profession. It’s tough for the players. It’s tough for the staff. A lot of people sacrifice and commit a lot of time to this, but that’s why you love it. I don’t know if tough is the right word. I have a passion for it, and this is exciting.”

(on memories of coaching at Iowa State) “Yeah, I remember it well. It was 1984. Actually, during my time there is when I met my wife. That was the same year I got married. Jim Criner was the head coach, and I was only there one season. I was the defensive coordinator. I think we went from about 118th in defense to about 19th. I had a good group of guys, and I had a good one year there.”

(on anticipation for the players building up to Super Bowl Sunday) “I think everybody gets butterflies before a game, whether it’s the Super Bowl or any game. We’ve prepared very hard thus far and had an excellent practice yesterday, and I’m sure we’re going to have a great week of preparation. So I think we’ll be prepared and they’ll be confident.”

(on if the game will be too cold for his team) ”It’s not like we’re from Miami. We practice every day. We’ve probably had 12 to 15 practices in single digit. We’ve practiced in snow. We’ve practiced in big winds. They come off those mountains, and so we’re kind of used to that.”

(on whether Peyton Manning can still improve) “He still wants to be coached. He still needs coaching. There’s no doubt he’s a tremendous first ballot Hall of Fame type of player. But he’s a teammate, and he’s a player, albeit a great one and has done a tremendous job. He’s been a great addition to our football on and off the field. It’s fun to coach him.”

(on how his stay in New Jersey has been so far) “It’s been great. I spent five years here. I went to dinner with an ex-neighbor from Wayne, New Jersey just the other night. It’s good to get reunited with some really good people, and I enjoyed being with them.”

(on whether he would have the Super Bowl in New Jersey or a warmer weather climate) “I’m just happy to be in a Super Bowl period, and the fact that it’s in New Jersey, actually I’m excited about.”

(on how he prepares the team for the distractions during Super Bowl week) “I think most of the guys that are in this league have seen this on television. They follow it. They invite friends. We had four of their teammates talk to them, explain it to them. We’ve got five coaches, including myself, who have been to multiple Super Bowls. So you do your best to prepare. It’s just like for a game. It’s just something else you learn to handle.”

(on whether both teams reflect the personality of the head coach) “I think they do. I can’t say 100 percent, because you’re not dealing with an exact science, because you’re dealing with people, but a little bit.”

(on whether his team reflects his personality) “You’d have to ask them that. We’ve got a great organization. I think it starts at the top with our owner Pat Bowlen, our vice president in charge of football ops, John Elway. He’s been to a few of these. We’ve got great resources, and hopefully our players are taking full advantage of that.”

(on what his relationship is like with Pete Carroll) “It’s kind of personal, but we go way back even to college football. I’ve known Pete for probably about 30 years.”

(on if he’s played against Pete Carroll) “Oh yeah. We’ve competed against each other for a long time in this league. He was finishing up playing when I first went to college, so he was always a guy that I looked up to. He played the same position, and I’ve got great respect for him and what he’s done with the Seattle Seahawks.”

(on what Champ Bailey has meant to the team) “Well, he’s been a tremendous resource for me. When I first came to the Denver Broncos three years ago, he was one of the first guys that I sought out just about Denver, about the Broncos, about the football team, and he’s been a great resource for me ever since. I’ve got great respect. I know it’s been a frustrating year for him because he was injured for a big part of it, but it’s been pretty awesome that he’s gotten back in time and playing at a high level.”

(on what he thought about the hire of Jay Gruden) “I know Jay. I interviewed Jay as an offensive assistant on our staff. I know his brother Jon very well. I competed against him many times while I was at Carolina. We were in the same division with him versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I think he’s a tremendous young coach.”

(on what the addition of Wes Welker has meant to the team) “He’s been a tremendous addition. He’s had a lot of production as a pro football player, especially as a slot receiver. I think the thing that’s been probably the biggest thing is that he was voted a captain by his peers, so he made a big impression very early on with a pretty good group of guys.”

(on what John Elway has meant to the team) “He’s superb. He’s been to five of these, won the last two later in his career. I think in our region, in our city, he might be kind of the most popular guy in our city. But I think for me, he brings a great insight to the kind of player and the kind of guy we want representing our organization. I know he’s very close with Pat Bowlen, our owner, and really wants the best for Pat and how Pat is represented. So I think he’s great giving great insight. He’s a tremendous guy to be with, a very tireless worker, and he’s done a tremendous job.”
-SB XLVIII-