The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB's Brown, Hawaii's Jones Address The Media
12/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 21, 2004
HONOLULU - UAB head coach Watson Brown and Hawaii head coach June Jones addressed the media here Monday, as the teams prepare for Friday's Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.
Junior quarterback Darrell Hackney and senior linebacker Zac Woodfin were the players representing the Blazers at the news conference.
UAB Head Coach Watson Brown
"This is to say the least, a thrill for us. We're honored to be here representing our conference. This is history for us. We are representing a great, young university. We've only been playing athletics for 25 years and football for only 10 as far as scholarship football.
"This is a special time for us. This senior class has been here five years and has been bowl eligible three of those five years but they didn't get to go the first two times. Our seniors, such as Zac Woodfin who is here with us, gets to go out as a member of the first team to go to a bowl. Hopefully, Darrell will have the opportunity next year to play in another bowl.
"We were really excited and pulling for the University of Hawaii (against Michigan State two weeks ago) to win. We may not say that Friday afternoon. I think our guys wanted to play them. They know how good they are; they knew the city here was behind them. It's an honor to play them.
"We're proud to be here. We're really enjoying ourselves and I think we'll be ready to play Friday."
(When asked if this was a neutral site bowl game)
"Oh no, and these guys (Hawaii) are so good here and have been for years. I think June has brought that out. When people come here to play, you've got to play exceptionally well to win. We're working hard on that. I think the extra time helps us with their style of offense.
"We're the only team in the bowls playing an away game this year, but I think we would pick it again.
(On playing first bowl game)
"I think it's an advantage for us, because our kids are so excited. I think we're going to play really hard. We've practiced really hard. We did back in the cold in Birmingham. We had great practices there and we've had two good ones here.
"I think we're really focused. I think this team we're playing (Hawaii) helps us get focused."
(On whether UAB has faced a team similar in style to Hawaii this season)
"We're in a passing league, but it's not this. These guys are very good; they're committed to what they do. They know what they're doing. What I notice about them, and it comes from June (Jones), is they are very confident. They're very patient. Things may not be going well for them early, but you just keep making adjustments and figure out what's going on.
"You have to mix it up real good against them. And that's hard to do in a week's time. I think they wear you down here. They've got the fast track here. They've got the heat.
Hawaii Head Coach June Jones
"We are very pleased to be here because with three games to go, it wasn't looking very good. I don't think the local people here envisioned that we would be here. But the guys in our locker room certainly knew what we were capable of doing and I did, too.
"This football game is going to be an exciting game. I've known Watson for quite some time and have followed his career with great interest.
"We've watched tapes on UAB and they have some very talented football players on their team and it's going to be a very exciting game.
"We think that UAB is as talented a football team as we've played this year. They are going to be fun to watch. They have some really gifted players. I think their wide receiver (Roddy White), just watching him, I would draft him as a top 10 pick if I was in the National Football League right now. That's what I think of him looking at him on tape.
"They have a very gifted quarterback (Darrell Hackney) and gifted running backs and they're very well coached on the offensive line.
"I'm glad this game is at home because we seem to be a different team at home. I think it will be fun for everyone who sees this game in person and on the mainland on ESPN."
