As Mark detailed yesterday, Willie Byrn is focused on helping Virginia Tech return to its winning ways. The longer quote below from Byrn was said during the playing interview portion of ACC Kickoff. It's worth sharing.
Q. You talked about going from good to great, 21 straight years in a bowl game but it's been a few years since it was a big bowl game. Are you guys feeling that drought, the program?
Yeah, we definitely -- it's not to our standard. When you first came to Virginia Tech, all I knew, the year that I red shirted, we won the ACC Championship, went to the Orange Bowl. The second year we lost in the ACC Championship, still got there, only lost to Clemson going into the Sugar Bowl, and we got to the Sugar Bowl. All I knew when I was younger was BCS bowls and big-time stages.
So it's definitely -- I definitely don't like being in this -- we've had just good seasons. We need great seasons.
The 10-win season streak thing that we had going was great, and it was a nice stat, but I never was a big fan of that being the standard of our success because I don't really think about number of wins. I'm thinking about it's ACC Championship or bust, and I think our whole team has that sense of urgency throughout these summer workouts and everything. If one guy takes a play off or anything like that, he's getting yelled at, and it's an urgent yell. It's not a desperate yell, but it's an urgent we don't have time for this, we've got to get rolling because we've got to get back to where we were.
If that's the mentality, all 70 guys are going to have, then we're going to do some good things.
That's an encouraging remark. Tech's schedule provides the opportunity for a 10 win season and trip to Charlotte. If everyone else on the roster is indeed as determined as Byrn, the Hokies might just bump their heads on the ceiling.
Byrn reiterates his remark again during a segment with the ACC Digital Network.
Comments
There ya go. ACC Championship game.
Whenever Maddy looks at the interviewer, it's a side glance where he determines in an instant whether it's a viable target or not.
It's like he's constantly calculating whether or not to attack......
He would make me lose sleep at night.
The paper boy delivers, once again.
I cannot wait for them to take the field this year!
Great decision making skills by Willie not to freestyle. Maybe he should play QB.
haha that was so awkward
Can I be honest? Every. single. player. ever. says this. Every year we say we want championships. Every year we say the feeling of practice is different because the players are working hard to turn this boat around. I have zero problem with any of this being said, but it shouldn't news to any of us.
I don't recall hearing anything like that in 2012, at least not from the players.
I disagree with your sentiments, however I also disagree with the down votes. You have a right to be a Debbie Downer.
Good God people...this is America.
I didn't down vote, but talk about Debbie downer...
I'm more alluding to the fact that everybody here seems to get so excited whenever a players says we are gunning for a championship. It is more of a personal annoyance than anything else.
It's all good, Debbie. Speak Yo Mind.
Actually you're being the Debbie here. He gave his opinion and you're slamming him for it. Not what this community is about. He has the right to express his opinion and not receive down votes for it or being called a Debbie, no matter he is bringing the mood down or not. He didn't say anything bad or derogatory about anyone.
In fact, I kind of agree with him. For the last 4 or 5 years I remember reading about how this new year the team's leadership had made a change and they're not saying last year was bad, but that there was something missing and that this year we were going to be different. Players say pretty much the same thing every year about the team this time of year. this is pretty much what the original comment is speaking about.
So chillax and let people say their opinions.
Agreed. I'm looking for the most inane comments Koastal has made so I can upvote away his downvotes here.
People really need to get a grasp of the TL system on TKP as outlined in the Community Guidelines. It's not that long or difficult a read, and there's even a link to it, right over there, under a heading called "Read Before Posting".
I'll go ahead and highlight the relevant part anyway:
ETA: Legs delivered on classic Koastal comments "Yes" and "Is it one vote per day?".
Damn, dude. I'm about the most chillaxed mofo going.
It was a joke. I'm with my man on his right to opine on this forum. In fact if you scroll up, you'll see I was the first to defend and speak out about the down voting. Seems like some others need to do some chillaxing.
fair enough. have a leg. My comment, though directed at your post, were more a general response to the whole Debbie downer thing and down votes for negative opinions.
That bit at the end was hysterical. "The album drops in October, just wait until then."
Coming into last year, I didn't feel the players had a ton of confidence. Maybe it was because we were starting off with Alabama, or the new coaches or because we were relying on a lot of young players. But coming into that season, I felt the players were very tempered in their expectations.
It makes me happy to hear Willie coming right out and saying "It's Orange Bowl or bust". That means the players believe that the offense, defense and special teams are ACC-Championship caliber. With 3 top-25 teams in the ACC including the reigning national champion, you have to have a ton of confidence to make a statement like that. Furthermore, I think Willie (by extension) has a ton of confidence in Michael Brewer. I don't think he would be making those type of statements if he didn't think Brewer would be good.
I disagree. I feel like last year was one of the most intense summer practices I can remember. The injury bug did bite us before the season started, but I think every player went into Atlanta thinking that they could beat Alabama. Special teams mistakes cost us the game, but we put on a damn good show. I think what doomed the season was jumping up to #14 in the polls and the players buying into the fans' hype that we could get the rematch with Bama in the BCS. The coaching staff needs to make sure the same thing doesn't happen this year.
Kyle Fuller's injury is what doomed the season not players buying into fans' hype. It's not that he was such a good player, but his versatility limited the D's weaknesses and allowed everybody else to focus on a narrower set of responsibilities.
If he plays the whole season last year, it's a 10+ win season and the game against UCLA is a toss-up.
The fans only reflected the input given them by the coaching staff via the media & in HC sessions. So, the players would get their perspective from the coaches just as the fans did, since they spend more time in the presence of the coaching staff than the fans. The entire premise is based on the false assumption that players are unable to form their own opinions of how they'll perform and can only parrot what they hear. There are things to point a finger at in dissecting the 8-win season, but fans' hype is not one of them. Fans' hype means zero when it comes time to step onto the field and play/coach the game.
Im a bit concerned about the hype with our DB's. Its like the defense from 2 years ago, so much hype and a complete let down. Anybody else get this weird feeling that our secondary is coming in this year a bit too confident?
Our D two years ago finished the year strong. It was like 205 ypg allowed over the last 5 games.
On another note, this seems like another indirect vote of confidence in Brewer.
if you look at when our defense has not done well, it is usually a function of what the front seven are doing. The D-line in particular. I have never worried about the DBs but maybe I've got my head in the sand.
I recall a lot of hype for the Adibi/Hall pairing at LB...that seemed to work out well.
This should've always been the mentality every year. You play in the ACC, your goal every year should be to win your conference. Just my .02 but hopefully one year we will be lucky enough where the puzzle pieces fall into place and we get another shot at the National Championship.
If this pic doesn't have you excited for the season, then I suggest you check your pulse:
This picture...
many epic
very defense
such new avatar
You mind posting a bigger version of your avatar DBU?
It's just the photo above with DBU added to the blank scoreboard with MS Paint. The original is on my other PC, and I'll post it on imgur tomorrow if you really want it.
We need a GIF wiz (Box? any other takers?) to take the original image and layer in the horse on a treadmill on the scoreboard. I think that might possibly destroy the Internet with how awesome it would be.
These gifs has me just as excited #WelcomeBackCorey
Those gifs deliver
For the love of God, I may need a straight jacket by mid August.
and all that wood reminds me of
Seeing the first gif made me think that August 1st is too long to wait for the new Billdozer hype video...
Lets send Byrn out on a high note .
easy there Journell
Well earned
