Bret Bielema Quotations

We knew they were going to line up in 12 personnel (one back, two tight ends) and run their inside zone and try to get at us. Thank God, we had a couple of guys step up and make a play.

One thing I think you have to do here at Wisconsin is maximize your personnel. From the standpoint of getting our best players out there, you've really got to make sure you're not burying anybody at a position.

It's hard to train that in practice time. You can make calls, you can make adjustments, but just that pressure, 'This is what it is, this is reality, I need to concentrate on every play,' that's what we've got to get through.

We at the Big Ten don't want to be like the SEC ... in any way, shape or form.

Would you rather have an overachieving 3-Star, or an underachieving 5-Star?

You can take Saban's record when he was at Michigan State and when he was a coach in the Big Ten and put it against mine, and he can't compare.

Obviously, you've seen him make plays out there. He's going to make some for them (opponents), unfortunately. We're trying to get those out of his system.

Now, we're getting into the meat and potatoes about spring ball.

Obviously that is the most elementary thing that we've got to make sure we can take for granted on every snap.

People will ask, 'And what do you do?'

One of the biggest things we've got going this year is we want to finish, finish, finish. That's about as big a finish as you're going to (have).

I would have never found two of our recruits if we didn't have those (scholarships) available at the end of the week.

I got on him a little bit because he got a bruise on the forearm and he wanted to sit out. That's the difference. You have to have durability in the Big Ten.

I feel pretty good about having an experienced guy like John back there. He's been through some battles before, and we'll need him to lead us through some more battles when we start our season. I'm counting on John to do some good things for us and get us prepared.

I found out how our schedule evolved. And with a 12th game being approved, it was an eye-opening experience because basically it comes down to not a lot of people wanting to come to Camp Randall Stadium.

He works hard, he's a great recruiter and coach, and he's a fantastic person on and off the field. I'm very happy he's a Badger.

He had to do certain things just to get out of the state, but I really admire his strength through this whole thing.

He has been a key element in numerous successful programs and he has been the architect of some of college football's best defenses during the past 25 years.

He informed me he might be interested in pursuing another option with LSU. I said that's all I needed to know because I want people that need to be here.

He is just beginning to get his feet wet. But he definitely will strike you. He's not afraid of anything.

He got up and talked about what they ran and why they ran it. I was just amazed at his presence and his knowledge.

He drinks Mountain Dew with Red Bull. It's the last guy that needs that combination. Before practice, I think he has a Pop Tart sandwich with peanut butter in the middle.

He gave me those notes to reflect on the move, just like Coach Holtz had given him the notes. It's great to hear different philosophies on coaching.

He never once has made any emphasis on his last home game or his last game. It's just been status quo.

He never had the daily repetitions of a mike learning curve, the reads, the reactions, the fits and drills. It was kind of a season in learning. When he began to start to play pretty well is when he had that little injury and didn't really play well again until the bowl game.

Whatever it was, we really emphasized that we wanted it to be consistent time and time again and weren't going to accept anything less.

We've been trying to sell it. I know there won' be the same crowd that there is in Camp Randall next year. But we're trying to get as many people in the stands as possible and make it a game-day environment.

He's a big body that can run. I would like him to have a little bit more ability to flip his hips and run in certain situations. But I think he can really be a good football player.

He's a guy that didn't hesitate at all, just jumped right into the challenge and looked forward to the opportunity. He's definitely a big guy that can move around and do good things.

Going into that last series, I looked up at the board ... there was 7 yards in total offense. I was just amazed at that.

Hodge and a couple other guys are kind of in a holding pattern. I'm going to sit down and have a discussion with Elijah. I think he's been a little bit hampered by the groin injury. Now, you're getting in the season, you've got to kind of concentrate on the guys you're going to play.

He's been battling through that. He rolled (it) right toward the latter part of winter conditioning. I was going to say something to him before practice because he wasn't taped. He's usually taped on that one ankle and he wasn't. But he was after that.

Jack is trying to take another step forward.

I think Elijah was trying to show up a little bit for him, That's another thing you lied to me about in recruiting - you told me there were no tornadoes (in Iowa City).

(Robinson) made some people look silly on film, just with his ability to lower the shoulder. He's not looking to take a knee or a slide or anything like that. He likes to get as much as he can out of every opportunity he has.

Mark has been a pleasant surprise for us. He has really responded well; the keys, the reads, he's got great ability, just his overall presence. It's good because he can now make plays both ways.

John's got to get used to where the routes are actually being (run) at and get used to the receivers so they are consistent. That is one of the things that really jumped out early on when Paul came here - to get the No. 1 receivers working with the No. 1 quarterback as much as they can. That's got to be a huge emphasis.

Johns experience as a college and NFL running back, as well as the coaches he has both played for and coached with, makes him an ideal person to coach our backfield. He has been successful coaching both NFL and college running backs. We are very fortunate to have him join us.

I would like to assemble a group of coaches that carry two common traits: great passion and great integrity. Kerry has great passion for the game, for recruiting, for his players and for people overall.

We can run and we can hit people. I like that from (the defensive) standpoint.

Those guys have been in the program now for two years, basically. They're not young anymore. We expect them to continue to develop. Just to be able to get their hands on the ball and make those plays speaks volumes about their ability to be playmakers.

Those guys have been in the program now for two years, basically, ... They're not young anymore. We expect them to continue to develop. Just to be able to get their hands on the ball and make those plays speaks volumes about their ability to be playmakers.

Which has allowed Shane to take all the No. 2 reps. We just wanted to let him concentrate on doing that and become good at free safety. And, then, if he shows that he can maybe handle more and more things that may be a possibility.

We really think, hopefully, all three of those guys will hit the ground running June 12 when we start our summer conditioning.

was in our ear a lot more this week than he's ever been since I've been here.

What we've been on Jack about is just becoming a complete football player. I think he is beginning to do that.

We wanted to see him. The defensive coaches thought he moved well enough and wanted to give him a shot there.

We will be a role-playing team at that position.

What I want to do is put them in a pressure situation. And because we're going ones against the world, the ones should be able to execute and do certain things.

We finished our last ball game with Iowa and were on an off-week and then we had to travel a significant distance to get to Hawaii. So we prepared for a certain number of days, let them have a couple days off, came back and traveled to Hawaii.

We were putting some balls on the ground. The picks, as many times as we get our hands on the ball, we can't put them on the ground. That changes the momentum of a game in a heartbeat.

We're going to try to get as many people in the stands as possible. Make it a game-day environment.

And we'll talk about it as a staff and find out exactly where we think each guy should be. There's a point where certain guys may be carrying too much weight, just from a health standpoint, too.

Andy is a competitor. He came in and played right away as a true freshman at linebacker and has a great competitive spirit ... I'm excited because I think he's found a rebirth a new way and a new opportunity to get on the field.

Everything is kind of up in the air.

I've really been happy with the progress of all three. It's really a talented group that I'm expecting big things from.

The thing that you've got to be always conscientious of when you're playing a team that likes to chop block, ... is not overemphasizing to the point that they're looking for the chop block instead of going to make the play.

The thing that Mike brings to the table is that he's a competitor. He plays hard every play. And he's willing to do anything we ask of him.

The thing that I'm excited about right now is another year to work under coach Alvarez.

Sometimes, for young players, the hardest adjustment they have to make is just being accountable for everything they do. They want to make the big play, they want to just get to the ending point rather than working themselves through it. You'll see that a little bit with our new offensive guys. They don't know how hard it is to be a good football player. People just think it happens. It's hard...and it's a process.

After several discussions with both Gino and Antonio, I felt it would be in the best interest of both student-athletes and the Wisconsin football program if they did not return to the program.

The one thing I knew as a head coach (was) I wanted to hire coaches that are good and eventually, as people know how good they are, people are going to want to try and hire them. Unfortunately, it was way too fast in this instance.

The one thing about Joe Thomas, as good of a player as he is, he's even a better person.

Anybody we offered (a scholarship to) in the state of Wisconsin is in this program now.

They got coached all week, I'll say that.

They had a chip on their shoulders from last week. We told them all week what we expected out of them.

There will be certain things that we'll ask during a course of a practice. He's back there rattling off the answers as fast as we're giving the questions.

They're a very unique offense; we knew that. They came out, especially in the first two series, in some things we didn't prepare for. They came out with two backs, (which) wasn't a high priority for them a year ago.

Assistant coaches make recommendations. Head coaches make decisions.

It's been called, but the ones that you want to see called, probably don't get called. Put it that way.

It's just great to be part of it. I think it's a great testament to the leadership (Alvarez) provides. From Day 1, it's been about this game.

It's exciting because we're going to be able to go out on the field and do what we like to do. Just as much as the players love to get out there and play, coaches do as well. It's an exciting time and we can't wait to get out there.

It was different. I was sure to notice when Coach Alvarez used to come and sit in on my meeting or when he was in my drills, so I was trying to be a little bit conscientious of that, especially the first two days, trying to let coaches establish how they go about their business. I was just trying to stay at a distance, look around and watch for the first few days.

It was something that if we practiced well the first couple days down here we knew this was going to be a day (off). We met a little bit but it was an opportunity to let the kids get their legs back.

It was a unique experience to get out there and mix it up for the fans. I was pleased with the turnout. We wanted to get as many people in the stands as possible to make it a game-day environment.

Dave kind of reminds me of myself when I went with Bobby. He made all the calls on Saturday but I was involved on day-to-day game planning.

The No. 1 piece of advice I've been given is to be your own man and I plan to do just that. Coach Alvarez put me in a position to have success and I solicit him for advice, but he hasn't placed any limitations or restrictions on me.

It was an opportunity for them to get their legs back under them.

Oh, no, ... I commented (on) the reaction of some of their players. ... At that point in time, the block was totally legal. I have no problem with that. I just don't like to see the part of the game where people make a celebration at the cost of someone's injury.

I want to be one that recruits harder than any head football coach in the country. I want to be involved on a daily basis in that capacity because I can make a difference.

They beat us (physically). I think it is something we pride ourselves on.

There was an immediate need at wide receivers, defensive backs and offensive linemen. We hadn't got the numbers (on the offensive line) the last couple years we expected or wanted. So I wanted to go in and get a minimum of five offensive linemen. Sewed that up early. That was probably our major emphasis. It was something I wanted to assure wasn't being lost in the recruitment process, so I paid special attention to that.

Not only that but a leadership role. He's someone who works hard every day. He may not be the best in anything individually. But he's definitely going to try and be the best.

After the second day, he's got it mastered, too. He's just a guy who takes a lot of pride in what we ask him to do.

I'm excited because it allows the guy to roam.

I'm a big believer in competition bringing out the best in people. There's plenty of time for this all to shake out.

I like his strength, I like his gamesmanship. If he gets a shoulder on anyone it usually disrupts their path and that's not always the case at the running back position. So I like the power that he brings to the table.

I like his strength, I like his gamesmanship. He sees an edge, he'll take it in a short fashion. He's got great power.

I'm just worried about his health right now.

I need to have daily improvement in everything we do and I basically felt throughout the entire spring that we did do that.

I like the way he composes himself on the field. They'll continue to make ground.

I'll never forget opening up a fortune cookie at a Chinese restaurant on the very day that Fry offered me the job, ... It said, 'Choose a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life.' It's turned out to be true.

He's intriguing to us because he's very athletic. But we were so thin in the offensive line and we wanted him to learn the elements of blocking before switching him, again.

Chancellor Wiley and Coach Alvarez have extended me a fantastic opportunity to build on our record of success and great tradition. I'm enthusiastic about the future of Badger football and this chance to advance the program.

He's a guy who stands out in these situations. He has the ability to make plays in game situations.

He's a guy who can make a difference - make you miss - and he has the speed to pop through a little hole. They really take a pride in their running game. They'll take their shots down the field, but what jumps out at you - this year and last year - is that they're willing to be patient, willing to grind it out and do what they need to do to stay on the field.

He really has trouble when he gets inside too far. He's definitely one of those guys that has to view the play from one angle. I think that will get better and better for him as time goes on.

A lot will be decided on Saturday. (I want) to see how our guys handle certain situations. At times, we've practiced very well in all phases of the game.