Patrick Smyth, Executive Director of Media Relations ([email protected] / 303‐264‐5536) Rebecca Villanueva, Media Services Manager ([email protected] / 303‐264‐5598) Erich Schubert, Media Relations Coordinator ([email protected] / 303‐264‐5503)
DENVER BRONCOS OTA QUOTES (5/22/12)
CORNERBACK TRACY PORTER
On adjusting to play with the Broncos “The defense is a little bit different from New Orleans, but overall at the end of the day, you’re still playing football. I’m just loving the chemistry that we’re developing right now.”
On whether they played a lot of man‐to‐man defense in New Orleans “Pretty much. We did a lot more of a cat coverage, so to speak. Here we’re definitely mixing it up a little bit. We’re doing a little of everything. You can’t sit here and say right now we’re more man or we’re more zone. Here we’re doing a little bit of everything.”
On his strengths as a cornerback “Maybe my press ability to get my hands on a receiver, being able to run with their routes. A lot of guys nowadays are a lot faster at the receiver position. Being able to stay with those guys in coverage, playing proper technique is one of the strengths I think I bring.”
On what he’s learned from CB Champ Bailey “Overall just staying patient, learning what formations and what routes are coming and just having a knack for being around the ball. Champ’s history speaks for itself. It’s been my second practice [with Bailey], so I’m just trying to soak up as much as I can. Any question I think of on the field, I run and ask him. He answers it to the best of his ability because at the end of the day we just want each other to succeed.”
On the Saints’ bounty matter “You’re always worried because you were [on that team] but at the end of the day, the Commissioner and the league are going to make their decisions and that’s just something that we had to live with. You can appeal it all you want, but like I said, at the end of the day, those guys are going to make the decisions and you just have to roll with it. It’s all about how you come back. It was definitely in the back of my mind because I played in New Orleans and they were the focal point of the whole issue.”
On whether LB Jonathan Vilma received a fair punishment “I can’t say what’s fair and what’s not fair because I’m not in the front office, I’m not the Commissioner. I can only say that Jon is a good friend of mine. There was no instance that I think he would have hurt anybody or anybody on our team playing with the Saints would have hurt anybody. Like I said, I can’t say if it was fair or wasn’t fair. The only thing he can do is appeal it and try to get back out there.”
On whether it’s nice to be practicing against an offense instead of individual drills “[It’s] definitely [better] because you’re out there and we basically have to envision a receiver out there running a route and that’s fairly difficult. You’re basically learning the defense—receivers, they can run any route. Coaches can come out and say, ‘They’re going to run this route,’ but you never know what they’re going to run. Being out there against the offense going full speed, that’s definitely a big help.”
©2012 Denver Broncos Football Club. All rights reserved. The individual quotes cited in this document may be used for the purpose of news reporting and other fair uses as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act. Duplication or posting of this quote sheet, in its entirety, or any other use of this material which is not a fair use as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act is strictly prohibited without the prior written consent of the Denver Broncos Football Club. On whether he’s talked to QB Peyton Manning about his interception in the Super Bowl against the Colts “Not yet. Coming close. Maybe a little bit down the line. Right now I’m just trying to grasp the defensive playbook and he’s trying to take control of that offense. I think once we finally get settled in we’ll have enough time to shoot that little joke in. As of right now, we’re both still learning.”
On whether he’ll bring it up if he comes up with a pick‐six in practice “Trust me, I know if you guys are out there and I happen to intercept Peyton and run it back, that’ll be the start of things to come. I’m definitely looking forward to it. Peyton is a great quarterback and a great competitor, just like Drew Brees. To come into an organization with another great quarterback, Super Bowl‐MVP quarterback, I think in my five‐year career, I’ve been spoiled.”
On getting his No. 22 from CB Syd’Quan Thompson “It was a little process; we had to talk a few things out. But eventually I kind of talked him into letting me get the number. It had a little a little “history” in New Orleans and I really liked that number. At the end of the day, we worked a pretty good deal out.”
On why the number was important to him “Because that’s the number that I had coming into the league, it’s a number that kind of stuck with me and fit me. I just wanted to keep it—I didn’t want to start all over with another number. When people see 22, they think of me. That’s definitely what I want to keep up.”
On whether he’s superstitious about the number “Not really (laughing). But like I said, that’s the number that’s grown on me since I’ve been in the league and it’s a number that and it’s a number that I’ve grown to love. I know a lot of history and a lot of comparison can go with wearing the No. 21 because they had a lot of great players that wore the number. Not that I’m one to shy away from being in the spotlight of wearing the number—I just want to have the opportunity to make my own.”
On whether he looked up to Deion Sanders “Absolutely. He’s another one of the greatest players in the league. As a matter of fact, he and Champ were two of my favorite players. To have the opportunity to play with one of my favorite players is a dream come true outside of winning another Super Bowl.”
On playing with CB Champ Bailey “Champ and I are trying to get on the same page. We’re both trying to make this defense one of the tops in the league and force as many turnovers as possible. Whatever he asks of me that I can help him with—if I can help him with anything—I’m open arms.”
On whether he’s in awe of CB Champ Bailey “When I first got here, I was saying to myself, ‘[Dang], I’m playing with Champ Bailey.’ After playing with him, he’s a down‐to‐ earth, humble guy and to answer your question, no, I’m not in awe any more.”
On playing against the NFC South this season “It’s definitely going to be competitive. It’s one of the more competitive divisions in the league. There is a history there with every team that finished in last place, the next year they finished in first. It’s definitely becoming a more pass‐happy division with the likes of New Orleans because New Orleans has the spread offense so a lot of teams in the NFC South are adapting to that offense. I definitely tell them that it’s going to be wide open. Expect to get a lot of ball thrown across the field. That’ll give us a great opportunity to force more turnovers.”
On the NFL making thigh pads mandatory “I’m a believer in it. I’ve been wearing them since my rookie year.”
On whether most defensive backs would be against thigh pads “Yeah because generally they aren’t too worried about getting hit in the thigh or knee, but like I said, myself, I’ve been wearing them since I was a rookie.
©2012 Denver Broncos Football Club. All rights reserved. The individual quotes cited in this document may be used for the purpose of news reporting and other fair uses as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act. Duplication or posting of this quote sheet, in its entirety, or any other use of this material which is not a fair use as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act is strictly prohibited without the prior written consent of the Denver Broncos Football Club. “We actually just found out in the locker room that they are going to be mandatory. A lot of guys are frowning upon it because they like to not wear thigh and knee pads, but much like wearing shoulder pads and a helmet, it’s a rule of the league and you have to do it.”
On why some players don’t like wearing them “Some guys are superstitious to say that wearing the thigh and knee pads slows them down, but for the most part, I think it’s a myth. I still feel pretty fast when I’m out there with thigh and knee pads. It’s all about what a guy likes.”
On the new members of the secondary “First we have to be in the film to learn the defense as well as getting the extra work of us playing together. The more time you spend around a guy, the more time you spend playing with a guy on the field, you get a feel for what he does, what technique he plays, where he’s going to be on the field and the more and more you play with a guy, the more familiar you get with a guy and that makes it that much easier to play on the field. Because in the heat of the battle, you’re not thinking about where this guy is. If you continue to play with him more and more, you’re just going to know where he is. So, you know where you can fit or if you need to adjust because he’s not going to be there. It’s just more time playing together.”
On how the Broncos’ secondary can stack up against spread offenses “We have two experienced guys in Champ and [CB] Drayton [Florence]. Along with me and the little experience I have, I can continue to learn from both of those guys and we have [CB] Chris Harris, he’s a very good defensive back as well. I think we stack up well against it. We have the speed, we have the experience and we have the talent. We just have to put it together. You can have the most talented team on paper, but you still have to play the game on Sunday or Monday. If you don’t show up, you’re going to get beat.”
On whether he’s comfortable playing as a nickel corner “I played a good deal of it in New Orleans, so it’s definitely something I’m familiar with. Anything they want me to do to help this team get back to New Orleans for the Super Bowl, I’m down for.”
On how good he thinks the Broncos’ secondary can be “I think we have the opportunity to be one of the tops in the league. We have a great pass rush with [LB] Von [Miller] and [DE] Elvis [Dumervil] and those guys on the front line. They definitely do a great job of putting pressure on the quarterback. The more we can hold out guys on the back end to give them time to get there and the less time they can give the quarterback the opportunity to read the coverage and force them into a bad throw—once they force them into a bad throw, it’s our job to make the turnover. We have the guys in the back end that can do it and the guys on the front end that can put that pressure on the quarterback.”
On practicing against Peyton Manning “For one, you just want to go to him and ask him as much as possible because it’s his job to read coverages as well. Having an elite quarterback that can do that like Peyton—you go and ask him questions, ‘If I’m playing this technique, what does a quarterback usually look for?’ If he has any questions on why I played a certain technique, we help each other. He’s very knowledgeable of the game, so it can go both ways. I tell him why I’m playing the technique and he tells me why he does. Going against other quarterbacks, that’s more experience you’ve gained so you know, ‘If I do this and I’m looking for the quarterback to make this throw,’ or you can force a quarterback to make this throw, or you can force him into making a throw that you want him to throw because you know what to expect.”
©2012 Denver Broncos Football Club. All rights reserved. The individual quotes cited in this document may be used for the purpose of news reporting and other fair uses as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act. Duplication or posting of this quote sheet, in its entirety, or any other use of this material which is not a fair use as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act is strictly prohibited without the prior written consent of the Denver Broncos Football Club.