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Ron Wolf - Class is in Session!
How's the last Rodeo Going? You called it your last Rodeo...
So far it's going ok... Were ah... there isn't anything changed in the
process... the process has been the same, is the same, will remain the
same... The basic difference is that Mike Sherman spent alot of time in there
with us... trying to show him how we do things... which will enable him to
carry the torch so to speak.
How much time have you spent? Or have you spent a lot of time educating him
(Mike Sherman)... Or does he learn by watching you?
He (Mike Sherman) learns by watching me... he feels that's the best way of
doing that... I don't disagree with that...
What advice would you extend to him? (Mike Sherman)
I would say don't get anxious... that's an easy thing for me to say...
but it's also a hard thing to do... You become very anxious at one of these...
You can't let the draft dictate to you, you have to draft dictate to the draft...
Why is this phacit of professional football the most appealing to you?
It gives you an opportunity to more or less pitch yourself against all these other
experts in the league... see what you come up with... it's what I grew up doing...
in the league... It's what I enjoy doing... that's probably why...
I enjoy this aspect of it... or any
personnel type aspect of this game... I am fascinated by that... and all the parts
that go with that... It's unfortunate in today's football that you can no longer
do this... That's one of the reasons I am getting out of it...
Ron a couple of months ago when you made the annoucement... maybe the emotions
were a little different about leaving this part of it behind... but as you draw
closer is there a sense now of how much more you might miss this come next
year at this time?
Absolutely not... I havn't had time to really dwell on that... or think about
that... our days are filled with the same thing we have been doing for 39
years... so.. I havn't had time to sit back and look... wonder what the day after the
draft... when ever that is... what's going to happen... I assume that I will
become sentimental.
Do you recall ever getting anxious and having it cost you? The lesson that
you learned?
I'm sure I did it... because it is inevitable... I can't recall the incedent...
but there has been several times here that I had chances to do things...
sit back and look at them now and realize... what could have happened if I didn't
become pig headed... or didn't become to anxious... or didn't think I knew it
all... we could have done a lot more damage than we did... those are the types
of things you have to be carefull with... I think only experience teachs you
that... I don't believe it's something you can learn in a book... something you
read about... your experience with how the process is going will tell you whether
or not you should move or shouldn't.
Can you give an example of a player where if you had to do it over, you would
do it different?
I don't think we have enough time here... this isn't an all day session...
We had an opportunity once, I don't remember the year it was... it's the
year we took Johnathan Brown to do something... there was somebody else there...
It was brought to my attention that somebody else was there... I said no
way... so we took Johnathan Brown
Which turned out to be mistake... those are the ones you remember...
You never remember it the other way...
You got to figure there's a guy that really hit though that really
was satisfying for the process you went through to scout that guy
in particular?
We had some of those... this probably sounds preposterous... but ah in
1968 we took a left handed quarterback when I was with the
Raiders and that was un-heard of... because all the experts had said
that there's no way a left handed quarterback could play... the spins different...
the recievers couldn't catch the ball... and all that... I swear that's true...
You can go back... you have the access on the Internet...
You can go back and read all those things... there in there... we took
stabler... he fizzled the first year... all those experts were now... see we
told you... but ah... he would be the one... he that changed the thought process...
he became a great quarterback with a just phenomenal completion percentage... when
he practiced the ball never hit the ground... that's an amazing guy in that
sense... he was before the west coast offense that guy... the ball never went
on the ground...
Ron... There's a... One of the national publications talking about the
draft, you were quoted in that talking about how difficult it is to
peg a reciever in the first round... Can you elaborate why it hasn't
been such an exact science with those guys as top 5, top 10, top 15
picks?
Well I tell ya what I think I said was... I read that myself...
I know what I said... It was not taken how I meant it... If you look
who the guys are in Honolulu all the time and in the Probowl
there all first round draft choices at the reciever position...
but, as a position as one would think is fairly easy to evaluate...
as you go down through that... through the years it will show you that it
is has not been an easy position to evaluate... we carried that out through
like last 6 years... I think it's half the guys in the first 4 rounds are now in
the league... that shouldn't be... there should be more guys in the league
than that... that's what I was refering to... it's not how it came out...
how it came out... the good players are still good players... there the guys
in Honolulu and they are usually the number one draft choices.
Is there something unique to that position (WR) that's made it so
difficult, because of the system they played in college or the quarterback
they played with?
I don't think so... I think it's like any other position... it's why first
round draft choices don't make it and 6th round draft choices do...
theres a competitive aspect of this game that is all incompasing... you can't
imagine the pressure that's on an individual coming into this game...
some people can respond to that pressure... some people can't...
doesn't matter whether thier free agents or whether they were drafted...
that's what makes our game so exciting... is that fact right there... you never
know who's going to make it...
As this draft stands right now are you tempted to be a little anxious
ah, with all the conversations going on about moving up?
With everything being equal.. do you usually go for the great Defensive Lineman
as apposed to the great reciever.
If the draft was in February... if it would ever go up there again...
Would you like to have more pressure on you and your ability to out fox
clubs with that short of time span?
Ron... As the draft gets down to those latter rounds... are you now still
plugging holes or are you just looking for the great athletes... As your philosophy
gets in there... you have found those gems in those latter rounds...
was it still with an eye toward this is the possition we need, or
that these are the best guys...
Ron when you look at this roster... what do you need out this draft to be able
to go into next season and legitimately compete for the playoffs
and be able to make some noice.
If you don't take a reciever in that first pick...
After that how confident are you that you can get one that
can challenge the starters... make this football team...
Are you going to take a quarterback?
We certainly are... Yes we are... We blew that last year... We still
havn't really... as a team recovered from that... that may sound foolish
but we havn't... Everybody learned a valuable lesson... I think everybody in
that room learned a valuable lesson... You will see the packers every year
draft a quarterback.
Ron are you confident as you have gone through these draft meetings and
organizational meetings preparing for this... that the guys you leave behind
are ready so to speek to walk on their own and handle this once your gone?
As you pass the torch on to the new team... What would be the number one
thing that you hope you would pass on to them, for the next draft?
(Idatasports.com Michael Duda)
In your opinion what was your best draft?
How important is it to find a pass rusher against other teams so you don't
have to pay attention to double digit scores?
Ron, have you gotten a sense that there are a lot of teams trying to bail from
the top spots?
Ron, how big of a concern with only 3 picks on the second day...
Is there a concern?
If it would happen that there is the Reciever and the Defensive Lineman you
want... Which way do you go?
Ron... do economics factor at all in whether you try to move up
or not... Do you worry about that?
I hope that goes on ESPN. I think that is a concern... I think
that's a concern here... We don't have any restrictions on us...
How strong is this draft as a whole?
Is it more difficult to evaluate a 3rd year sophmore now that were
seeing... rather than just seniors that it used to be... Gaging their
ability?
Ron, have drafts been weakened because of the underclassment that have been
coming out?
Ron... describe your night before the draft ritual... Do you get much sleep the
night before... are you nervous... do you lay there think about how this is
going to go... or is it ah forget it... get 8 hours of sleep.
Is it going to be any different this year?
Do you physically feel more strained before the draft? Are
you getting a lot of offers right now?
No, were not getting any offers right now...
So in this case is it safe to say you might have to do the calling
instead of taking the calls?
Ron, what are your thoughts on Chris Chambers?
I'd rather not discuss particular players...
Are all those kids pretty strong coming out of
Wisconsin?
Do you tend to draft programs when all else are equal?
In other words if you have someone from a big school a mid range
school, a small school...
Have you given any thought to next year, if you will be able to sleep the
night before the draft... Or are you going to be on the Phone? (
Idatasports.com
Michael Duda)
Back to Press Conference Roadtrip - 04/11/01
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