Exclusive Interview
                                                      Norman Whitley

                                 By: Aaron Fischman

 

January 1, 2009 - An Interview with Norman Whitley

Shoulder surgery sidelined East Carolina sophomore running back Norman Whitley for spring practice, but nothing could keep this competitor off the field during the regular season. Whitley accumulated 667 yards and 4 touchdowns on 135 carries for the Pirates this season, helping them to a 10-4 record and a spot in the upcoming Autozone Liberty Bowl. Before the game, our own Aaron Fischman got Whitley's take on Coach Skip Holtz, running in the Pirates backfield and the upcoming match-up with Kentucky.

Be sure to watch Whitley and the East Carolina Pirates take on Kentucky in the Liberty Bowl on January 2 at 5:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Aaron Fischman: Last year Patrick Pinkney and Rob Kass split time at quarterback, but now Pinkney is the primary QB. When was it announced that he had won the job? Do you expect Kass to start next year, being that Pinkney is graduating?

Norman Whitley: We pick starters by the way they perform at practice each week, so I am not sure when Patrick was named the QB. I think our next QB is going to be whoever works the hardest in the off-season to win the job. It could be Patrick if he can get his red-shirt year back.

AF: Though Dwayne Harris and Davon Drew are the Pirates’ leading receivers, there are so many other guys who make catches for the team. What makes it so easy for Patrick Pinkney to spread the ball around like that?

NW:. It's easy for a running QB to find the wide open receiver down-field. I think that [is] what Pat does when he is behind the center each and every game. I think it’s easy to find a player down-field when everybody's eyes [are] on the QB.

AF: Coach Skip Holtz obviously has a great deal of confidence in you. Talk about Holtz’s coaching style.

NW: I think Coach Holtz is a smart guy [who] knows how to run a team. I think he [has] us believing that we can do anything. I think he has a good idea/trust in us as [players] to learn what he is trying to teach to be better players and better people.

AF: In the last month, Skip Holtz recently withdrew his name from consideration in the Syracuse coaching vacancy. What does Coach Holtz mean to this team? Has his famous father, former coach and current ESPN analyst, Lou Holtz, ever stopped by give the team some words of encouragement?

NW: I think Coach Holtz means a lot to this team and the people in the community. I think we have a great deal of trust in him. We thought he would leave for Syracuse and other head coaches’ jobs but when he talked to the team and told us that he is happy here at East Carolina, we knew we had a great coach. His father has came to see our practices a couple times and [has] talked to us a couple times before games. His words meant a lot to us.

AF: You share the backfield with senior Brandon Simmons. What, if anything, have you learned from him? How does Brandon’s running style differ from yours?

NW: Brandon is a leader of this team and I learn a lot from him by just being around him. When he is the starter, or in the game, he talks to me about what they are doing and who is doing a great job on defense. That helps me to know what is going on out there. Brandon is a bigger back than I am so he gets his shoulders square to the line and he is hard to take down. I, on the other hand, love to run between the tackles, but [I] have more burst to me and do a [good] job in [the] open field.

AF: Your best individual performances came in close games, in which year team won. What does that say about you as a player?

NW: I think it says a lot about how much I can’t stand to lose to anyone. I will fight until the end and I don’t like to let my teammates down, so I just go out and play my heart out and leave it on the field. I think that’s the key to being a great player.

AF: You lead the Pirates in rushing this season. How have you been able to contribute so much in just your first season getting a good amount of playing time?

NW: By waiting for my chance to [play] and making the most out of what I got to get. I think it’s not [a] secret [that] I want to be remembered. I think I just have to go out and play every play as if it was my last.

AF: Van Eskridge (89 tackles, 4 INTs, 1 INT TD) has been a phenomenal player on the team’s strong 4-3 defense. Talk about his performance in the C-USA championship game against Tulsa and what you expect to see from him in the Liberty Bowl.

NW: After talking to Van before the Tulsa game, I knew he has a chip on his shoulder to carry the team if he has to and he plays his heart out every time he steps on the field because that is what [is] expected of him. He never wants to let anyone down. His performance speaks for itself during that game. I have a great deal of respect for him as a teammate and as a person.

AF: Kentucky’s starting quarterback, Randall Cobb, is probably not going to play in the Liberty Bowl. Does that change the defense’s approach at all?

NW: I don’t think this will change the team's approach in what we want to do. I think we are preparing as if he [is] playing and trying to do what we got to do to win the game. Our defense is still going to play hard to put our offense in the best position to win and score points.

AF: Who do you think most deserved to win the Heisman this season?

NW: Tim Tebow from Florida.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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