Meyer’s first recruiting class was a huge success. He was able to change the minds of some big-time recruits and the minute he arrived in Columbus, players that weren’t even considering Ohio State, were all of the sudden seeing scarlet and grey. His determination, pride, knowledge, work ethic, and hustle might be unmatched by any other coach in college football. It caused other coaches in the Big Ten to question Meyer’s tactics, even going as far as using the word “illegal.” Without even coaching a game yet, Urban Meyer has flexed his muscles, raised the stakes in the Big Ten, and the conference has already started to take notice. After a down year a season ago, the Buckeyes are back.

Urban Meyer joined ESPN 850 WKNR in Cleveland with the Hooligans to talk about how he celebrated the success of his first recruiting class, on making sure things are done the right way at Ohio State, on evaluating players beyond the football field, if he learned anything from taking a year off, if he was mad at the comments made by Bret Bielema and Mark Dantonio, what he has to do to close the gap between the SEC and the Big Ten, and the biggest difference between coaching at Ohio State and Florida.

What he did on Saturday night to celebrate the success of his first recruiting class:

“Saturday night? Saturday night? Oh I went to my man’s concert. (Host: that’s what I thought. You were in Margaritaville right?) Yeah I’m a huge Jimmy Buffet fan. That’s good. You’ve got some spies out huh?”

Whether or not it is true that he has taken locker room privileges away:

“There’s some stuff within the team and certain things, I’m not going to get into specifics, that’s between us and unfortunately in today’s day and age everything you do all of the sudden hits the media or blogs or something else but we have a strong belief that it’s a privilege to be a member of the Ohio State football team, walk into these great facilities to do certain things and if you don’t do things the right way then that privilege will be taken away from you and I’m not just talking about locker room. I’m talking about scholarships, I’m talking about jersey, gear, certain numbers people want to wear, it’s a John Wooden approach to a program and that is an incentive based program. Everything we do is incentive based. Everything. I could go on for probably two hours about there’s everything you do as a football player at Ohio State you get treated a certain way if you do things the right way. If not certain things will be taken from you.”

On evaluating players beyond the football field and the idea every position is up for grabs:

“That’s a great question because if you want to dig into the inside of what we’re all about. Our football program, it is about all those things you just said. It’s not about your vertical jump or you can throw the ball really well but you act like a jerk off-the-field, all those things go into a formula that we’re going to make decisions on players. We have for example a magnet of each player in our staff room and we’re going to give them a 1-10 rating. The strength coach is, the trainer is, the position coach is, the coordinators, and the head coach. All I’m looking for is every day, every week, every month, you have to get a little better. The minute we hit an athlete that’s not getting any better than I have to evaluate why. Is it because of resistance? Is it because he doesn’t want to be here? Is it because of some social issue? You just hit it right square on the head that everything is being evaluated. I mean everything. We’re putting them in enough situations that it’s easy to evaluate and the easiest way is putting them in a situation where you either win or you lose. There’s no grey area. Well I tried hard. Yeah but you lost. So that’s currently what we’re doing right now.”

If he learned from taking the year off:

“Incredible self-evaluation. Incredible evaluation of other people, programs, ways of doing things, and I felt like there were certain things that we could’ve done a lot better. We’re currently doing it. It’s something I learned on the road, but we just don’t have enough time with all the things. I had a notebook everywhere I went. I was working for a great company, ESPN, but I was also working for myself to try to make myself better. Hopefully I have.”

How he plans on adjusting his style knowing there is a bowl ban for Ohio State:

“I really don’t know. I’m actually going to do some research. There’s a program, USC, that’s done a good job. They’re dealing with a really severe bowl ban of three years.  Thought that staff has done a good job so at the appropriate time I might reach out there but I don’t know that answer. We haven’t spent much time on it. At some point I will. I can tell you this, it won’t be any different how we manage the game because we have a really clear plan to win and that’s how I manage the game. We’re going to go one game at a time and our objective is to win every game we play. I think your question about do you play a younger player versus an older player? Do you get them experience getting ready for hopefully a run in the following year, those are all questions I can’t answer yet but that stimulates thought.”

If he was mad about the comments Bret Bielema and Mark Dantonio made about him this offseason:

“Not a strong enough word. No. Really not a strong enough word at all especially my name associated with those two terms that were used, first of all it’s not true and then to use that in the media, no, mad is not a strong enough word.”

What they have to do to close the gap between the Big Ten and the SEC:

“I think we have to recruit better. I think the whole Big Ten, that’s our challenge and Jim Delaney is our commissioner and we’ve had a conversation about that. We’ve got to go get some top recruiting classes. There’s some great players in this league, great players in this league but we can get greater. I think that’s a great challenge for all of us in this conference that we can better and I think we will. Our rival is doing a really good job recruiting and there’s some other schools doing a great job and I just think as a whole we can do that. Are you kidding me some of the stadiums in this conference, traditions in this conference, the coaches, it’s all here. We just have to enhance our products.”

On the biggest difference between coaching at Florida and Ohio State:

“I think it’s very similar. I think the biggest difference is the fact that this is my home. When I say the great state of Ohio I know it and I’ve lived it. When I meet with the high school coaches I’ve known some of these guys for 20 years. I started my career as a head coach at Bowling Green, played college football here, I played high school football here, so really I think they’re very similar because the fan base is so intense. The intensity, the expectation level is really out of control. However my biggest thing is the fact that I was born and raised in the state of Ohio, that’s the biggest difference for me.”

Listen to Urban Meyer on ESPN 850 WKNR here

McGinn joined KJR in Seattle with Ian Furness to talk about where things stand in terms of bringing an NBA team back to the city of Seattle, the rules in place that would allow for the public to vote to modify aspects of Initiative 91 as well as the City Council, whether that possibility has been discussed by city leaders, if the city is closer today than it was three or six months ago to beginning construction on a new stadium, what the biggest hurdle is for investors to clear before moving forward on construction on a new stadium within city limits, if a hockey need would also need to be housed in the new stadium for investors to move forward, and whether there’s any possibility that public funds would be used to fund the project.

On where things stand generally with the city trying to bring an NBA team back to Seattle:

“Basically, the city can’t go into an arena as a money losing proposition, it’s the way I think about it to summarize it. So that I think is the challenge of I-91, and it’s a fair position for people to take I believe, because we do face very difficult budget and economic times and we have to make sure that we’re making the most out of our tax dollars.”

On being able to modify I-91 as any potential roadblock to bringing an NBA team to town:

“This is true of any referendum or initiative — once adopted by the public and after the passage of time, it can be modified by the City Council. But any action of the City Council, or most actions of the City Council I should say, significant actions of the City Council are themselves subject to public vote potentially. So it’s just a show of responsibility, really. But yeah, they can be modified.”

Whether that has been discussed by city leaders:

“You’re way ahead of the game. You’re ahead of the game as to the issues we face, because there’s the legal issue, but I think what’s far more important to me is the public statement. Because they’re my bosses, everybody’s got a boss, and they’re my boss — the public and the city is my boss. And what they told us in my vote was that this is important to them that we protect our city finances when we look at any potential stadium deal. So I take that instruction pretty seriously.”

Is the city closer today than it was three or six months ago to building a new stadium:

“I think we have to say we are much closer than we were three months ago, six months ago or a year ago. I do think we have to say that. And I say that because Chris Hansen is a serious committed investor who appears to have the financial wherewithal and the business knowledge to move forward. And we at the city side, when I met Chris and when we heard from him and his interest, and the fact he’s from Seattle and interested in Seattle, we felt it was important for us to understand what our constraints were, to understand what we were could possibly do. And so to be in a position to make decisions and to talk with Chris. So those two things have occurred. So you have on both sides of the equation a very serious level of commitment, and that’s very different than it was a year ago. Now, again, I have to keep saying this: I cannot say how this all ends. Because I know there’s a lot of excitement out there, and it would be a big financial commitment from the investors. They have to make their decision, we have to see how far they’re willing to go and judge how far we’re willing to go. Hopefully it will all meet in the middle.”

On what the biggest hurdle is that investors must clear to getting construction started on a new stadium inside city limits:

“I would say the starting point is probably does it pencil financially from their side, and does it pencil out financially from our side. I think those are the two big questions. That’s the first major hurdle, and if you can’t get over that one, you can’t get to any other hurdles. And I think once we reach that point where we think we have something that protects our city budget, protects our long term interests as a city, and takes advantage of that opportunity, maybe other hurdles will emerge and at that point we’ll see what they are. But I kind of think that’s the starting point. And we’ve been very clear about what we think is important on our side.”

Whether their would need to be a hockey team as well as a NBA team in order to make the deal work:

“My understanding is that they’re interested in both, and that that’s an important consideration to them.”

Does he see any way in which public funds will be raised to help pay for a new stadium:

“I think that again, our view is that we have to make sure that whatever the structure of the deal is, we’re not dipping into other accounts to pay for this, or coming up with some new tax source to go to the public for. So we have to work within those restraints.”

Listen here to Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn with Ian Furness on 950 KJR in Seattle

Scott Brooks joined KHTK in Sacramento with Grant Napier to talk about the best part about coaching the Thunder, on the young players in Oklahoma City being so mature already, where he would like the team to improve, what he has done differently because of the shortened schedule, and how much losing in the playoffs helped his team.

Best part of coaching the Thunder:

“Their ability to come back every day and get work done whether we have an incredible win or tough loss. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, (Kendrick) Perkins, Nick Collison, they all come back knowing that they have a job to do to get better every day and work every day. I have the same philosophy. We’ve got a job to do, we can’t get too excited about where we are, we just have to keep plugging along and hope for the best and see where we end up at.”

On the young players on the team being so mature already:

“They play hard. A lot of people think that’s not a talent. I really value that as a big talent if you can go out there and play hard every day because the travel is tough, the games come up on you, the practices are right around the corner, but you have to still go out and do your job and play with great effort. Our guys do. They play hard, they play together, and they seem to always really focus on never giving up even though some games we’re down big. They still come out with great energy.”

Where he would like the team to get better at:

“I think that is one of the strengths of our team that we are not satisfied. I know I love our guys and I tell them that every day but I love the fact that they know they are not as good as they’re going to be if they keep working. We turn the ball over way too many times and defensively we give up too many offensive rebounds. Those are things we have talked about and will continue to talk about. We have to get better at those things.”

What he has done differently as a coach because of the shortened offseason:

“The only thing I’ve done differently is I’ve kind of made everything really tight with our practices and efficiency is much improved. We’ve always been a hard-working team, we had to get our practice in and our shootarounds in. We’ve kind of cut things down. We’re still doing it, but instead of a 50 minute shootaround there might be a 35 minute shootaround or something like that. Going into the games nothing has changed. We still have to compete and the schedule says you have to play hard for 66 nights. That’s what you have to do. You can’t have an excuse because if you do that it’s easy to latch onto that. Everyone has a tough schedule, even the 82 game season is a tough schedule. You’re going to have tough stretches and you have to find a way to fight through it.”

How much the playoff experience has helped them this season:

“I think it definitely helps you going through the playoff battles and I think in any team that wants to have a good team for a long time you have to be able to go through that and recover through some tough times. We have had some good times and we have had some tough times, every team has to fight through that. Very rarely can you go from A to Z and become the best team in basketball. We’re striving to win a championship like a lot of teams are and we know we have to go through some tough battles and I felt last year really helped us. Does that help us this year? We will find out. One thing that we know is it’s a long season and a long playoffs. You can lose 12 games in a playoff run and still win a championship. You can’t get down on losses and that’s one thing that we kind of experienced with that seven game series with Memphis.”

Listen to Scott Brooks on KHTK in Sacramento here

Austin Rivers joined ESPN Radio with Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo to talk about the feeling of hitting the game-winning shot over North Carolina, on the idea that his shot was one of the greatest in the history of the two teams, what the play was designed to do, on the expectations placed on him, and what it’s like to have a father coaching in the NBA.

How it feels to hit the game-winning shot over North Carolina:

“It was just an amazing feeling. It was a big team win. I think everybody contributed to the win and just to get the win at North Carolina, versus a great team, meant a lot. Everybody stepped up and when that ball went through the net I couldn’t even tell you what I was thinking man. Everything went so fast.”

On the idea that his shot was one of the greatest in the history of the rivalry between Duke and North Carolina:

“I don’t even know what to think just because I’m just a freshman so in your first year in college to do something like that is amazing. It was a good moment for our team but we’re really focused for Saturday and that’s what we’re looking forward to now.”

What the play was designed to do:

“It was kind of like a dual option where the play started. Dre (Andre Dawkins) kind of just ran off a screen and I could kind of choose what I saw and just read the play. I saw a pick and roll option and I went off it. Once I saw Zeller on me I think the guys were telling me to go for the two. If you look at the play you see Seth (Curry) like ‘go, go, go,’ but Zeller was kind of backing off me a bit and I just kept stepping toward him a little bit and he kept backing off and kept backing off and then I just kind of got in rhythm and I just shot the shot. It felt good when it left my hands but your heart drops because you just don’t know. Then when it goes through the net it felt amazing.”

On people’s expectations:

“You can’t ever worry about people’s expectations because if you do that you’re just going to drive yourself crazy because you can never please everybody. You just have to worry about your own expectations and most importantly your team’s expectations. If you can fulfill those then that should make you happy. I’ve just come in here and worked really hard. Coach K and them never give up on anyone here and they challenge me every day to get better and be a leader. That’s one thing I’m trying to do right now and I think I’ve gotten a lot better here at Duke and the team has gotten a lot better. Every day you have to fight. That’s the way here at Duke. Every single day you have to fight here in practice. Every game you play people want to beat Duke so you have to fight. I think that makes you into a better player and why so many players come out of here successful. That’s one thing I’m learning to do now and one thing I have learned to do and we have to continue that habit.”

What it is like to have a father coaching in the NBA:

“I think it’s unique because my dad, he knows what he’s talking about as far as basketball goes and he’s always there for me. He always helps me out with things and he’s been there for me. It’s not all basketball with him. People like to think on the outside I bet you know Austin and his dad talk about basketball but at the end of the day he’s a normal guy to me. He’s a father. He has always been for me. It’s unique to have someone who is a father but at the same time someone who can really help you in the game you love the most and I think that’s the most unique aspect of it.”

Listen to Austin Rivers on ESPN Radio here (Audio begins 10:00 into the podcast)

Kershaw, who posted a 2.28 earned run average and a WHIP under 1.00 while going 21-5 in 33 starts last year, says he was ready to go through with arbitration, but is glad that he won’t have to. He also says the new deal won’t change him as a person.

Clayton Kershaw joined ESPN Los Angeles with Mason and Ireland to discuss what he was expecting if he had to go through arbitration, his new two-year deal worth a reported $19 million, if he’ll afford himself some new luxuries, his charity work in Zambia, who will foot the bill for dinner when he reunites with his former high school catcher Matthew Stafford, and what he might buy for Valentine’s Day now.

If you went to arbitration were you going to attend it in person?:

“Yeah, I would’ve gone. My wife said, though, ‘It’s on Valentine’s Day, so you better get this done so we can have a Valentine’s Day before you go to spring training.’”

Were you dreading the possibility?:

“I was kind of undecided about the whole thing. I definitely think it would have been interesting just to see how it all goes down. At the same time, it probably wouldn’t have been too much fun to hear your team, your organization, go in there and bash you pretty much. It was good to get it over with. At the same time, I was prepared for it.”

How about the two-year, $19 million deal? That’s insane, right?:

“Yeah, never [dreamed that]. I’m very fortunate; I know that. Really, for me, I was never worried about it. I get to play baseball for two more years, so that’s exciting. I’m just happy it’s all over with and I don’t have to worry about it next year.”

Now that you have that money, will you allow yourself any luxury that you maybe wouldn’t have before?:

“I don’t think anything will change. I think if your lifestyle starts changing and stuff just because you make some more money … I think that kind of defines who you are. So, I’m just going to try to stay the same and I don’t think it’ll be too much of a problem. … More than anything, it’s just that sense of security that’s awesome, and that my wife and I are comfortable.”

How did you and your wife get involved with doing charity work in Zambia and what does it mean to you?:

“Ellen, she started me off with it. She’s been going since she was in college and she’s been there six times. I was hesitant at first to go over there and I went and it just changes you and puts things in perspective. You just want to help. It’s changed my perspective on things. I always look forward to going over there now. You just come back with a new perspective on just what it means to live here in the country that we do and have all the blessings that we have and not to take that for granted.”

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was a catcher for you in high school. When you go to dinner, who pays?:

“He does. For now, it’s still Matthew. He’s the big guy on campus as far as I’m concerned. It’s on him for a couple more years.”

What will you get your wife for Valentine’s Day?:

“Great question. If you have any ideas, let me know. I’m a little behind in the planning process.”

Listen to Clayton Kershaw on ESPN Los Angeles here

The move reunites Fox with his first defensive coordinator from his Carolina Panthers days back in 2002. Del Rio was last seen with the Jacksonville Jaguars in November. The Jacksonville Jaguars were fed up with their uninspiring play and fired Jack Del Rio. Now granted Jags owner, Wayne Weaver, had probably kept Del Rio on as a head coach despite the futility over the last few years because of his contract, but this man can still coach a defense.

The Broncos defense played a big part in keeping the team in many games long enough for Tim Tebow to make a play. Del Rio will look to improve a defense that was already pretty impressive last season.

Jack Del Rio joined 92.3 The Ticket in Denver with Les and Jojo to discuss the good and bad that jumps out at him regarding the Denver Broncos defense, the young talent of the Broncos defense adapting to his scheme quickly, the Broncos biggest need on defense, John Fox having input on his defense and going from being a head coach to a defensive coordinator.

What have you seen out of your new players that jumps out at you? Good or bad?

“Well I’ve seen a little bit of both. I’ve seen some good and some that needs to be a lot better. I think the encouraging thing is the way the team grew throughout the year. I think  defensively we played better defense later in the year and felt like we could build on that and continue to grow.”

How do you feel about the young talent of the defense and how quickly they can play at that expectation level for them?

“Like I said there are some things we have to do better. There’s some things we did real well. I think for us right now we are just kind of grinding through the tape, looking at everything that was done here last year trying to do that while we are trying to get a feel for the talent level and obviously preparing for the potential free agency period that is coming, but our guys that we have? We need to know them well, so we’re kind of digging in and doing that and making sure we know our own roster first before we get into that phase. From my standpoint there is always teaching that can be done and that’s what we are going to do. We want to get with these guys and teach and have them on Sunday go out and be able to play fast. When game day rolls around we want them to be feeling good about what they see and making sure their eyes are where they belong and then they cut it loose and play physical and they play violent and they play where they are taking care of each other and those are the kind of things we are looking for.”

Do you have a feel yet of what the biggest need is on the defense?

“Right now there is a great need for me to learn exactly what they have been taught and even asked to do and how well they have been doing it, so I have been kind of focused on my part and then I am trying to evaluate all of them, so I’m a lot of eyes and ears right now, listening to the coaches who have been here and then using my eyes to form my own opinions based on what I see on the tape. Right now it’s a lot of information gathering.”

Whose defense is this? Is it more of John Fox’s or yours?

“Oh this is the Broncos defense. That’s how I look at it. Each year that’s what you need to do. You use the strength of the staff, so John certainly has a wealth of experience on that side of the ball and we welcome him to sit in at any time and share and give us any thoughts. He does that and did that in Carolina. He does it now, but we work at it together as a staff. What we are? What we will be going forward? We’ll be the Denver Broncos. It’s our defense and we all share in it, so it’s not about any one person or ego. It’s about all of us pulling together. There’s strength in numbers and that’s how we are going to approach things.”

How difficult is it going from a head coach to a defensive coordinator?

“I don’t really think about it much. I’m just plugging and doing my job. I enjoy working. I enjoy being around the guys. I enjoy the competition. I enjoy the evaluation part, so I’m really just digging in and getting to work. I haven’t really thought about how that feels. As coaches we really don’t think about how we feel much. That’s how we are able to work long hours.”

Listen to Jack Del Rio on 92.3 the Ticket in Denver here

Cruz was able to bust out that move during the Super Bowl on Sunday, catching a touchdown as the Giants captured the Lombardi Trophy. Now, after such a big season, Cruz says he deserves a new contract.

Victor Cruz joined ESPN New York with The Michael Kay Show to discuss if the Super Bowl win has sunk in, the nerves leading up to and during the game, his touchdown catch, wanting a new contract, why he went public with that desire, proving that he wasn’t a flash in the pan, the story of the hour in Jeremy Lin and what it’s like to go from unknown to celebrity.

Has everything sunk in at this point?:

“It’s slowly starting to sink in. I’m slowly realizing that we just won the Super Bowl and I’m getting a ring pretty soon. It’s pretty crazy.”

Was it more nerve-wracking going into the Super Bowl than it was any other game you’ve ever played?:

“Definitely. Just having all that time to talk about our team and dissecting us for two weeks and just expecting who’s going to be the big player, who’s going to the MVP. It’s a lot of pressure going in. It was definitely nerve-wracking, but once we got out to Indy and I got to relax and my family came, it was all good.”

Once the game starts, is the pressure lifted and is it just another game?:

“You can just tell it’s just another game, another football game, and feel that way. But there’s just points in time throughout the game where you think about it and in the back of your mind, you’re like, this is for the ring, this is for the Lombardi. It kind of hits you periodically at times throughout the game, but it was a great experience.”

Take us through your touchdown catch:

“I cut across and the linebacker kind of slashed across my vision. I thought he was going to at least tip the ball or something like that. But he ran right past it and it hit me and I bobbled and saw it hanging there and reached my hands out and … I just grabbed it and scored and it was salsa time after that.”

You’d like a new contract. Do you think this will get contentious going into next season?:

“I hope not. I kind of just hate talking about stuff like this. I just hope it’s something we can take care of. Hopefully, I feel like I’ve earned it. Going into next year, hopefully my agent can get the next deal done.”

Why did you take your desire for a new deal public?:

“Whatever way that my agency and everybody in my camp wants to handle it, then we can handle it. I just got asked the question earlier today. I’m not trying to ruffle any feathers or anything crazy. I was just answering the question. I’ll be discussing it with my agent and we’ll see how we want to approach it.”

People have wondered throughout the process if you were just a flash in the pan. You’ve proved that you aren’t. Did you have to prove that to yourself at all?:

“I always understood my talent and understood that once I got my opportunity, I could really do some positive things. I knew that I could do all those good things that I’ve done this year, it just took … going out there and physically doing it. I just kept a humble mind and just stayed level-headed and attacked every game, every opportunity and every play with everything that I had.”

Did you see that people are calling Knicks guard Jeremy Lin the Victor Cruz of the Knicks?:

“I saw that. Adam Schefter tweeted that he’s the basketball’s Victor Cruz. That was pretty cool. I did watch his last game and he’s tearing it up. He’s single-handedly winning some of these games for the Knicks. It’s definitely refreshing to see something like that in New York.”

Is it overwhelming to go from an afterthought to having the cameras in your face?:

“A little bit. But I guess it kind of comes with the territory. You want to be a good player, you dream of scoring touchdowns and this and that. To have the cameras in my face, you just have to welcome it and remain yourself.”

Listen to Victor Cruz on ESPN New York here

The increased playing time might be helping Williams get comfortable right now in what’s proving to be a challenging rookie season. The lockout didn’t help matters much, and Williams notes how difficult and ‘crazy’ the schedule has been on the rookies. No.7 is averaging 7.8 points per game as he looks to make a bigger impact this season.

Derrick Williams joined 1500 ESPN in Minneapolis with Reusse and Mackey to discuss waiting for his chance to play as a rookie, transitioning from college basketball to the NBA, being comfortable out on the floor after coming off the bench, not being comfortable with one position just yet and the NBA schedule during the lockout being brutal on his body.

How do you balance keeping your nose to the grindstone and waiting for your chance to play more in games as a rookie?

“A lot of people ask me that, but at the same time with my minutes here so up-and-down you just gotta continue to do the things that got you here. Myself just being one of the last people out of the gym getting more shots out then knowing what I can do. With those minutes you always gotta stay ready, especially when you don’t how much you are going to play. You always gotta keep staying ready and whenever you are in there producing I think the minutes will increase.”

What would you say is the most difficult part translating from college to the NBA?

“I would probably say just being off the ball so much. I think I mentioned that yesterday. My whole career I have been pretty much just give me the ball and let me do it. At the NBA level you have the other players that are in the same position as you are because the same thing. They had ball in their hands and they were able to do what they do. You have to try to do a little bit of extra things like rebounding or running in transition or just doing the little things that other people don’t just trying to get those extra possessions at the end.”

Are you the kind of player that needs your minutes to get comfortable in order for your shooting to get going?

“Yeah I give a lot of credit to JJ Barea because he’s just that guy, he’s the 6th man, but at the same time he’s like the starter. He always comes in ready to go. He’s always the leading scorer. He’s always the one to hype up the crowd and he gets everyone going, so I’m trying to translate that to my game, learning what he does when he’s over on the sidelines getting ready. It’s a little different like you said I’m kind of the one who likes to get into that flow. I don’t like to get out there and just throw up shots and just try to do everything as soon as I get out there. I think I got to change it up a little bit when I get out there try to get up in the flow a little faster just because coach wants to see that – the activity and the hustle right away.”

Do you feel most comfortable at the power forward position?

“I wouldn’t say most comfortable. On the offensive side I would probably say I’m comfortable at the four because I am quicker than most people who play the four. I can get to the basket and be able to shoot. Most of the time people at the four can’t stay with me. At the three spot? It just depends who you play. When you have LeBron [James], Carmelo [Anthony], all of those guys, nobody can really stop those guys. They are going to get their numbers regardless, so I wouldn’t say I am more comfortable at any spot. For those times I am use to those spots. Just try to get out there and play a little bit more and I think with more playing time I’ll be able to do the things that I did.”

Is the NBA schedule in a lockout season pretty brutal for you and a guy like Ricky Rubio?

“I think it is. In college you probably play 2 games a week – maybe in the beginning of the season you play in a tournament – you play 3 games in 4 days, but throughout the season you play 2 games a week and with Ricky I asked him before I said how was it over there? He would say they would probably play 1 or 2 games, maybe 2 games a week. They always happen once a month, maybe twice a month, but it’s just different getting on planes after the game coming back home. Playing the games and leaving again, so it’s a little crazy and hectic when you are playing in different cities each and every night, but with that you have to try to get your rest and get as much sleep as possible and make sure you are ready and healthy.”

Listen to Derrick Williams on 1500 ESPN in Minneapolis here

Coming out of high school Lin was overlooked. He didn’t have a single scholarship offer and ended up going to Harvard. Then after being an All-Ivy league selection twice while at Harvard, Lin was overlooked once again and went undrafted. Even his hometown team, the Golden State Warriors cut him prior to this season. Lin hasn’t stopped working and he has persevered. Thanks to horrible point guard play and a few injuries, Lin is getting his shot in the NBA with the New York Knicks and he has made it impossible to overlook him again. The Knicks are on a three-game winning streak with Lin in the lineup. The former Ivy League standout is averaging over 25 points per game and over eight assists per game in those contests and has brought excitement back to New York. The Garden is rocking with chants of MVP once again. But nobody, not even Jeremy Lin, could’ve dreamed that those chants would be directed at him.

Jeremy Lin joined 95.7 the Game in San Francisco with the Rise Guys to talk about how it felt having Knicks fans chanting MVP at him, if he is surprised by the success he is having, on his contract getting picked up by the Knicks for the rest of the season, if he is going to look for a new place in New York, if he was surprised when he was released by the Warriors, and whether or not he takes inspiration from Tim Tebow.

On Knicks fans chanting MVP at him:

“That was a surreal moment for sure just because I never would’ve imagined in my wildest dreams that would’ve happened. Thankful for them obviously.”

On being surprised by the success he is having:

“Yeah definitely true. I can’t sit here and say I knew this would happen or something like that. I think it’s something that I’ve been working towards to try to kind of establish myself in the rotation but to have this happen so fast has been miraculous and I’m just so thankful to God, my teammates, and this organization for giving me this opportunity. It’s been an unbelievable week.”

On his contract getting picked up by New York for the remainder of the season:

“Yeah I actually found out yesterday when the General Manager told me after shoot around. That was a little bit of a sigh of relief.”

Whether or not he is going to get a place of his own now in New York:

“I’m not really sure. I don’t know if I want to shake things up just yet. I’m looking for a place.”

If he is getting bombarded by fans now:

“I mean I don’t really walk around the city too much. It’s been fine. I’ve actually just spent a lot of time in the apartment just relaxing and resting.”

If he was surprised that the Warriors released him:

“I definitely didn’t see it coming and got pulled out midway through the first practice. My agent and I had zero idea that was going to happen. It was really tough for me at the time but I just tried to hold on to a lot of the stuff in the Bible that God gives to trust, have joy in the sufferings, and trust in his perfect plan. That’s what I tried my best to do and I’m thankful the way things turned out.”

On Tim Tebow being an inspiration for him:

“Actually a lot of inspiration just because he’s such a polarizing figure but I think the things he says in interviews, his approach to the game is just unbelievable and I respect him so much. I want to be able to do some of the things that he does in terms of the amount of charity work and the non-profit work, and the way he impacts people off the field. I think that is what is most inspiring to me about him.”

On his dunk last night against the Wizards:

“That felt great. I haven’t dunked in a long time in a game so I’m just glad I was able to do that because I don’t know, I felt like I was due. I got a lot in college but it’s a lot harder in the pros to get open and get a dunk.”

Listen to Jeremy Lin on  95.7 the Game in San Francisco here

Jefferson sheds light on the fact that the Tigers had some packages put in the gameplan that would have spread Alabama’s defense out more, but that LSU just never went to those schemes. He says he only had the option to audible during certain situations, but if he could have changed the plays more, he would have.

Jordan Jefferson joined WCNN in Atlanta with The Rude Awakening to discuss what happened in the title game, second-guessing the play-calling, just doing what the coaches were asking, why he couldn’t change the plays on the field, halftime adjustments, the transition to the NFL, using Cam Newton’s story as inspiration and setting the record straight about problems off the field.

Could you ever have envisioned the national championship game playing out like that?:

“I definitely didn’t expect for it to play like that. Alabama was a little bit more prepared than us. There was a lot of things that we should’ve did different to catch a rhythm on offense. To win a type of game like that, you’ve got to win all three phases — offense, defense and special teams –and we just didn’t get over that hump to winning those phases. We kind of fell short in that game.”

What did they do differently after you had success against them during the regular season?:

“It’s being better prepared and having the right calls for certain situations. At times we put ourselves in the hole as far as putting ourselves in second- and third-and-long. Being in that type of third-and-long situation against an Alabama team and a defense like that, you’re going to fall short every time.”

Do you second guess yourself on doing things differently?:

“I think we should’ve spread them out a little bit more, put the ball in different passing areas, use our talent on the receiving side. We had that in as far as play-calling, we just didn’t get to it. It’s a learning situation for us, a learning situation for the LSU football team and I definitely expect to see us back in the championship next year.”

Is that something you realize during the game but you can’t really do anything because you’re not calling the plays?:

“Yeah it definitely always comes to mind and it comes to mind to our receivers and tight ends. We have great guys in those areas and sometimes we just wonder why we don’t use those guys. But we’re not the one calling the plays. We still have to go out and execute what the coaches and coordinators are calling. We can’t complain as players, but sometimes we do question that.”

Could you change those plays and audible on the field?:

“Only in certain plays and certain formations, not all the time. … If it was any way where I can change it, I probably would’ve changed some of them.”

Did you ever question the coaching staff as to why you guys weren’t trying something different because what you were doing wasn’t working?:

“Yeah, when we came in at halftime we discussed what we needed to do different as far as moving the ball and getting in a rhythm. … You have to have certain plays for these certain types of defenses they were running. We talked about making the adjustment and the adjustment that we made wasn’t the adjustment that we needed to make to get the momentum and the rhythm going.”

What things are you working on as you transition toward the NFL?:

“Just being more consistent with my footwork and my fundamentals as a passer. That’s really the main things I’m working on. I have a great arm and great footwork, I’m just making sure that it all stays consistent throughout any situation in the game.”

Do you look at Cam Newton and see what he ran in college and the success he had as an NFL rookie?:

“I definitely feel the same way. A lot of people out there don’t think I can throw the ball. In many instances throughout my career, I definitely proved that, especially playing Alabama all those years and playing Arkansas when they was No. 3 at home, I threw the ball 29 times for 250 yards. I’ve proved that a lot of times throughout my career, but the system that I’m in kind of keeps me away from throwing the ball like that consistently. I came from a Pro Style offense in high school where we threw the ball very often. Coming to LSU, they noticed my athletic ability so me running the ball was always an option in the offense. Now that I’m in an NFL system to where I’m throwing the ball a lot, I’ll definitely be improving my throwing ability.”

Part of the scouting process will be having to answer questions about some things off the field. How tough will that be for you?:

“It’s not difficult at all because there’s a lot of answers for a lot of questions that people don’t know. There’s a lot toward that situation and plenty of answers I can give you to show that I was not involved in that situation. That situation was a whole scam for this guy. He was trying to get money, trying to do whatever he can to sabotage what I had going on.”

Listen to Jordan Jefferson on WCNN in Atlanta here