TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

How anxious are you to kick off the home portion of your 2003 season, 6 p.m. this Saturday against Colgate at UB Stadium?
We're obviously looking forward to the home opener. It's always nice to play at home - especially for me since it's my senior season and it will be my last home opener. Hopefully we have some pretty good fan support and we can put on a competitive game for them.

Colgate is one of five teams on your schedule that won at least a share of a conference championship last season. How much tougher is it to face teams knowing that they were successful the previous season?
I don't know if you can look at last year's results too much. I'm sure there is some carryover from team-to-team, but this year's Colgate team is different from last year's team in the same way that our team is different from last year. We have to concentrate on their team from this year and what we see on film from them.

You are expected to make your 26th consecutive start this weekend. Can you discuss what changes you see in yourself as a player between now and when that streak began?
I think the biggest difference is the change in my mental approach to the game - understanding more about preparation and getting more out of film sessions. I also feel I've gotten a little heavier, stronger and faster over the course of the last three years, but I think the biggest difference is related to the mental aspect of the game.

As an offensive lineman, there are not a whole lot of statistics you have to look at. So what types of things can you look for as far as results of your work?
You have to look at rushing yards and how well we protect the passer, but the main stat we look at is how many points we put on the board as an offense. We like to think that when one of our backs or receivers scores a touchdown, we all had a little bit of a part in it.

What is your role as a downfield blocker and how important are downfield blocks on long runs?
Our offensive line coach, Roy Istvan, really stresses downfield blocking. Those are one of the stats we keep as an offensive line group. He always emphasizes the importance of getting downfield and making a second block to help a running back break a run. There might be a safety hanging out that might not be accounted for in the blocking scheme, so it is really important to get guys that are freed up down the field onto those types of players to help spring a big run.

When does the process of getting ready for your next game begin?
Basically, preparation for the next game begins on Sunday when we go through the game film from the day before. We look at it with a critical eye - you have to be positive, but you also have to understand what you did wrong and what you can improve. That's where the game film is most important.

What else goes on throughout a standard practice week?
On Monday, there is a brief introduction to our next opponent. As we get into Tuesday, we go a little heavier with film from that opponent as well as the tape from our practice the night before. Wednesday and Thursday are similar to Tuesday, in that we watch our own practice from the previous night along with more film of our upcoming opponent. Once we get into Friday, we have our unit meetings where we tie up any loose ends in final preparation for the upcoming game.

How often do in-game adjustments and changes occur?
It definitely occurs a lot more in the early season - there are a lot more unknowns. You have to be ready - especially in the earlier games - for things you have not been exposed to in practice or spent a whole lot of time working on.

What is the process for those in-game changes? Who else do you exchange information with regarding those adjustments?
Usually, they will take place at a meeting on the sidelines as an offensive unit with everybody there - backs, receivers and linemen. We'll get a look from the coaches up top and input about what everyone is seeing on the field.

You are a two-time member of both the Verizon Academic All-District I team and the Mid-American Conference All-Academic team. What are your plans for after graduation?
I am working now on my teacher's certification for secondary math in the Teacher Education Institute program here. So, I will student teach in the spring and after that hopefully I will be a secondary math teacher. I would like to go back home to Wilkes-Barre (PA), but I may stay here in Buffalo, as well.

-The "10 Questions with…" feature is compiled by Geoff Nason.