OL Mike Johnson
On off-season workouts:
"Our offensive line is working harder this year than any I can remember. William Vlachos, he's in position to take the starting center spot, has taken control this summer and learned the signals and taken the reigns in terms of where he needs to be. In seven-on-seven drills, Greg (McElroy)'s done a good job working with the receivers."
On preseason expectations:
"I don't think it's too much to expect (good things) at all. You hear people go back to the Sugar Bowl, but they don't realize we had our second string line in there and we're struggling to make adjustments. We've got two guys battling it out at left tackle that will be really good, they'll only get better. With time, I think everyone will be surprised at what they see."
On freshman left tackle D.J. Fluker:
"The kid's a freak athlete, he probably outweighs by 70 pounds and moves just as well. The biggest thing is he's willing to work to learn what he needs to do to be a better player and make us a better football team."
On expected first-year starter Greg McElroy:
"I think a lot of people will be surprised to see Greg's athletic ability. I think overall, people will be surprised at how he does in gameday situations."
On the team's schedule:
"I haven't thought past Virginia Tech. We're not talking about anything down the road. In order to keep our season where we want it to be, we have to win the next week. So our focus is always on the next week."
On playing in a premier opening game:
"I think what a lot of people find out about college football is that you find out about who you are in the first week. We can only do the best we can between now and then to prepare and be ready. Hopefully, we can put in enough work so that we're in a good position that week."
On Coach Nick Saban's recruits:
"You can only get better with Coach Saban's recruit in terms of when he gets his fully cycle in here, you'll see a great football team. Not only does he recruit good players, he recruits great men, people who are willing to buy into the system, and that's only going to help us."
On last year's finish to the season:
"It's obviously not the finish we wanted, but none of us had ever been there before. In terms of how you set goals, it's hard to think about things that are ahead when they're not even on your schedule at the beginning of year. Hopefully, we'll get back there (the SEC Championship game and a BCS game) in the years to come, and that experience will pay off for us."
LB Rolando McClain
On last year's ending:
"Last year, we won 12 games, but we didn't finish how we wanted. We were disappointed, but this year will be different. Coach Saban is preaching to us, 'Finish, finish, finish' and that's what we're working on doing."
On the seniors lost from last year's team:
"Rashad (Johnson) was a great player, but he was so much more of a great leader. I can't even explain it. He'd give a guy a look in the huddle, and you would just know (what you had to do). He worked so hard and everyone honored his work ethic. This year, Coach Saban expects that kind of leadership out of me. I'm more of a laid-back guy, but he wants me to be a leader, to speak up and to be an emotional leader, and I'm trying to embrace the role. If it means that it helps the team, then that's fine with me."
On preseason focus:
"I don't think we need a coaching staff to tell us anything. Last year, we won 12 games, but we lost the last two games, so that's not a lot of success. For us a team, we're just hungry, and we want to work to get better."
On expected starting quarterback Greg McElroy:
"Greg is going to surprise a lot of guys this year because he's got a good offensive line in front of him, and that'll onl make him better. It doesn't hurt to have Julio Jones to throw the ball to either. As a defense, we're going to push him in practice to make him better."
On return specialist and cornerback Javier Arenas:
"Javier's scary. A lot of people look at him as just a great kick returner and a punt returner, but he's so good on defense. What makes him better is he watches so much film, watching receiver routes and different defenses. I thank him because he takes a lot off me because he's such a good leader. He pressures those guys in the secondary."
On his roles as a vocal leader this year:
"It's hard because it breaks my personality. I'm laid back and typically more focused just one doing my thing, but if it helps the team, then that's what I want to do. I'm not trying to be someone different, it's just that last year, if practice wasn't going well, Rashad (Johnson) or Antione (Caldwell) would call everyone together and say something. I might not have said something, but I was thinking the same thing. This year, Coach Saban wants me to be the type of guy that says something if things aren't going well."
