**Colts Quotes From Wednesday's Super Bowl Media
Session
**
**Head Coach Jim Caldwell
**
*(on WR Reggie Wayne's importance to the
team)
*"I think one of the things that is a bit of a misconception about Reggie, is that he has made this meteoric rise to stardom (over the last year), but a lot of times he has been a bit overshadowed because he had some great years even when Marvin (Harrison) was here. He's always been a steady player with great hands, an excellent route runner, and an outstanding leader. He's not a rah-rah guy by any stretch of the imagination, but one who leads by example. He uses words very seldom but demonstrates it through his actions. Obviously, he has been in the program a number of years now and he has been playing solid football for a long time. This year, obviously with the 100 catches, leading the way with a corps of young receivers and setting a great example with them."
(on his evolution since he was head coach at Wake Forest)
"It's been a 10-year period of time since we've gone from Wake Forest to here, and it was certainly a great experience for me (at Wake Forest). We certainly didn't win nearly as many games as we would have liked to, but I think we did indeed make some improvements within the program. But the fact of the matter is that you have to win, and win consistently, and we can't hide from that fact. For me, it was a tremendous learning opportunity. I was 38 years old and I had an opportunity to run my own program. Certainly it teaches you a lot about yourself. It gets you to the point where you get rather comfortable with yourself. A lot of these things have helped me in this position of where I am today."
Senior Offensive Coordinator Tom Moore
(on seemingly being content with Peyton Manning getting the majority of the credit for the Colts offense)
"He deserves it, it's a players game. I learned that when I first got into professional football. Everything I learned about professional football I learned form Chuck Noll. It's a player's game. When you get special players –and Peyton's special, I love Peyton Manning – all I can say is he's special and there's a lot of things he can do. A part of your job as a coach is to make sure your players are given an opportunity to be the very best that they can be. Peyton has unbelievable qualities. You give him that opportunity, he's a coach on the field. He studies so hard, he knows so much football, he helps with the game plan. There's some things I like, there's some things he likes. I always knew it, but Chuck certainly re-confirmed a lot of thoughts that it's a players game, and do what your players do. The players get the credit and they should get the credit. Nobody has a clue how much time and effort and hard work that they put into the game. It's phenomenal. They are the game and they deserve the credit."
(on how much Manning has contributed to the growth and success of wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie)
"They're both quality receivers, and Peyton works very hard with them. Clyde Christensen, the receivers coach, he's done great job. You get into all this stuff and there is no finer offensive line coach in the National Football League than Howard Mudd. He's played the game, he's been in the game 36 years, and the pass protection and things like that - Gene Huey works with the running backs. It's the whole coaching staff. It's not Tom Moore, trust me [laughter]. It's the players and the coaches, and we've been together and we've worked together, and that's valuable."
(on if he has ever been surprised by a play Manning called at the line of scrimmage)
"No, never. Never, never. Never have, never will. I don't coach that way. You give someone some freedom, the first time they do it, then you start questioning - that's not the way it is. He's got the freedom and as I say, whatever he does is the right thing. That's the way it is."
Defensive End Dwight Freeney
(On his ankle injury)
"Well for me the way I look at things, I never really worry. This kind of thing is not in my hands. I just take it one day at a time. I just continue to focus my energy on positive things and getting my ankle right. It's day-to-day. It's hard for me to put numbers on it, percentages on it, of where exactly it is, but it's definitely getting there."
(On his frustration level with an injury right before the Super Bowl)
"There is a little frustration there, definitely. You never want to get hurt, especially in the fourth quarter with two minutes left. Maybe if it was in the first quarter or the second quarter, you're like okay, you know what, it's the beginning of the game. This is part of the game and this is what happens. No one knows when this type of thing is going to happen, you just have to think positively after the fact and just keep on getting better."
(On Colts DE Raheem Brock)
"Raheem Brock is a very accomplished veteran on our team. I think he's very underrated. He's very versatile and he does many things for our defense. Not only can he put his hand down, he can actually stand up. He does some standing up and switching sides. He's been a cornerstone of this defense for years and we know where he's going to be. He's a very consistent guy and he makes some things happen for us."
(On Drew Brees)
"I think that Drew does a great job. He and Peyton understand where the hot routes are, where the check-downs are. They understand pressure and when they need to get rid of the ball. I think it's important as a quarterback to have great pocket presence. Not every quarterback has that. When the pressure is coming, wherever its coming from, (pocket presence is) knowing where to step up, knowing where your help is as far as the blocking scheme is concerned, and being able to deliver the ball effectively."
Wide Receiver Reggie Wayne
(on the Saints defense)
"They're just a scrappy bunch. They do a good job of flying around, everybody does a good job of hustling to the ball carrier, and it causes confusion. They have blitz packages here and there. It's imperative that we know where everybody is, we have to know what our job is at a split second, or that half second could hurt you. We have to be conscious of holding onto the ball and not turning the ball over because they thrive off of that. We just have to play a good solid game. If we keep it close and they keep pushing, keep pushing, then we have the experience to push back."
(on the added attention he has received from family and friends this week, being that he is from New Orleans)
"Let me tell you something, I turned my phone on this morning, the first thing that popped up was 40 text messages. I immediately cut it back off. I can imagine what all those text message are saying, but that's the beauty of it. That's the fun of it. If I look at all those text messages and reply, we'll be talking all day. You just have to enjoy it, love it, live the moment, have fun with it, and just hope everything works out in your favor. I guarantee you in this game Sunday, if we take care of business the way we should, I'll be happy to look at all those text message and answer them back."
Linebacker Gary Brackett
(On the Colts defense making plays at opportune times)
"I absolutely think that our defense is playing really well right now. If you look at the first two playoff games, we are averaging less than ten points and no touchdowns in the second half. I think our defense is fresh. I think that is a credit to (Colts Head) Coach (Jim) Caldwell keeping us healthy and I think when we are out there on that field, we're flying around hitting people."
(On the changes to the Colts defense in 2009)
"I think we have a variety of defenses that we use now whereas before we were pretty much standard with what we did in coverage. I think we mix things up a little bit more as far as blitzing, playing man coverage. I just think keeping offenses off beat, not being as predictable as we were."
(On the front four staying the same and if most of the defensive changes were in the secondary)
"The front four has still been getting pressure. Obviously we are blitzing a little bit more this year creating some one-on-one matchups. A lot of teams are leaving guys in to double team our ends so when we blitz more, they have to go for more of a one-on-one scheme and in that matchup, you just need one guy to win to get home and get to the quarterback."
(On every game bringing a greater challenger and on if this game is their greatest challenge)
"Absolutely. This is the biggest game for a lot of people's career, the greatest game in America, playing a tough offense with (Saints QB) Drew Brees and the rest of his counterparts, so I think it should be interesting."
