Mike Kudla Quotations

Working with coach Johnson and those guys, when it came time to change things up to get ready for the combine, they were able to make a program that fit my lifestyle right away.

I love coming here. It's a great place.

Forty-five is a pretty consistent number for me. It's neat to be on a stage like this and take advantage of the opportunity. Just going in there and showcasing myself to the scouts, I was kind of hyped up. I've always been gifted in weightlifting. I worked very well with our strength coaches at Ohio State.

His passing is his backup. They definitely use the run to set up stuff ... We have to stay in the same space and keep him in that pocket. We want a nice cup around him and squeeze it in on him and not let him feel comfortable in there, not let him check that option of sprinting out and running on us.

It changed me forever. It's something that will stick with you. But it's nice to be back.

I thought I had it, but right after the guy from Denver said you tied it. I had 46 right there, but I couldn't quite get that last inch up.

That was a low point for us. We had to either go up or down from there. We responded to that. Where we are now, our starting point was really that game. We just grew from there and it was one of those deals where we got better each week.

We were all chasing after him. I didn't know what Ashton was going to do. I know he started locking up there a little bit.

We walked in yesterday and there are signs up all over in the locker room about the rivalry game and what it means and the tradition about it. It puts it front and center. You can't look past this one.

When Oklahoma shut him down in the run, they made him one-dimensional and really made it tough on him. It's our job to shut down the run and make him throw it.

You have eight weeks to get ready instead of eight months. But they make it easier. It's a give and take with them. It's a great blend and things are working out perfectly.

Vince Young is definitely the heartbeat of that team. You've definitely got to contain him and you've almost got to make them one-dimensional and make them throw the ball on every down.

Anything over 45 is pretty much what I?m shooting for.

That's where I kind of excel. I did a good job on the field. I need to go here and kind of hype the deal. I'm excited.

They had that great passing game and now they've got a great back to pick up yards for them, so it's kind of like that two-headed snake. You've got to be real careful.

You don't take things for granted as much as you used to. To be with those seniors ... it means a little more to think where you've been and how bad it really got, you just kind of savor things a little more.

It's a huge challenge for us. They all have experience, they all have played numerous games. They're smart. They know their schemes. They're solid. They don't make mistakes. We look at that as a challenge.

It's like two years ago. We lost two games but still won the Fiesta Bowl. It's been a great four-year career. You've seen a little bit of everything.

It's amazing. People get to see you without your helmet on, and it makes them so happy.

It wasn't a pretty picture at all, but I always felt like I could do whatever it took to recover and get back to playing football. I don't remember everything from the worst of it, but I remember being kind of in and out because of all the medication I was on. It's not something you really want to remember.

It was huge. It propelled you right through the second half.

I had 46 right there. I just couldn't get that last inch on my right arm. It just kind of gave way. But I was very happy with that performance.

I didn't know if I would ever be 100 percent, or be able to play like I used to be able to, but I just kept real positive. At the beginning stages, I had lost about 52 pounds pretty quickly, and that took a big toll on me.

He's tweaking things here and there. You really can't change the way you've ran for the last 20-something years. He does a good job switching things up. Something real subtle can make a big difference. We're doing shuttle, three-cone drills, a lot of stuff for speed and agility.

I definitely felt like we were getting after them. It seemed like we were hitting that guy a lot. He was having a tough time getting time to pass it.

He (Powers) was just finishing throwing and I felt I was within one step. I probably should have laid off of him.

For them, it's got to be even more special. It's their first BCS game in quite some time. The stakes on it are huge.

You could definitely tell he was getting frustrated. He was yelling at his receivers, yelling at his lineman.