Don Patterson Quotes

"That's what championship teams do. It speaks well of Southern Illinois. They had a little adversity and they responded."

"Ultimately, it still boils down to execution. Our guys have to get open, the quarterback has to find them, and the linemen have to give them the benefit of protection. We'll have to hope they don't hit us with the stuff that we haven't seen already because that element of surprise can sometimes create a sack for the other team."

"Some people don't think we play very good defense, but we can play it pretty well when we need it. I thought we did a good job in the fourth quarter putting some pressure on them."

"We played great team basketball and did an excellent job of executing our game plan. We have to continue to do this as we move on this season."

"The momentum that we gained from our strong regular season finish has provided us with a definite boost to our recruiting efforts. Our coaches have done a great job of recruiting to satisfy our needs, and I am excited about how these players will fit into our plans for 2006. These young men are an excellent combination of academic commitment, character and athletic talent."

"It made my job a little more enjoyable this time of the year. It was nice this (season), we had so many people in place. With the success we've had in recent years, we have lost two or, in some cases, three coaches."

"The defensive scheme we run is truly run only at two other schools. So the first thing we did was call New Mexico (University) and Brigham Young. New Mexico didn't have a candidate for us, but BYU said on the other hand 'we don't only have a guy, we have a guy who's outstanding and would be a good fit for you.' Right then we knew he'd be a finalist for the job."

"We knew he had good speed, but coming out of high school we didn't know how good he would be. The truth of it is, he runs good routes already. He's worked his way into the lineup."

"He has been steadfast in this, and I know he's gonna do a great job because he's always done a great job."

"Some do it without their parents, and they can really get caught up in the moment. Everywhere we went, we took a video camera and a still camera. When the educators are talking about the degree process, we have all that on tape. We're going over pictures and the tapes to make sure the right decision is there."