June 18, 2009
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Earlier this year, incoming Northwestern freshmen John Plasencia (Tampa, Fla./Tampa Jesuit) and Brian Smith (Medina, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) were selected to play for USA Football's 2009 Junior National Team which will compete in the sport's first junior world championship June 27 through July 5 in Canton, Ohio.
While preparing for the upcoming championship, Steve Alic of USA Football conducted a short question-and-answer session with both players.
John Plasencia
Q: What has your experience so far been like?
A: The experience has been great with the amount of volunteers and the community support it's been great. Being able to come out and play football with great coaches and players, it's just been a great experience.
Q: How does it feel to represent the United States in football's first world championship?
A: It feels great. We are the first, so we have to represent well. Also, it is important to realize that this is not just an all-star game, not to underplay any other all-star game but this is representing our country.
Q: Is the level of competition the same as high school or better?
A: The level of competition is absolutely better. In high school you could just use your God-given talent, but here, competing against one another on this team, you must go 100 miles per hour every play.
Brian Smith
Q: Is playing for USA Football and your experience here what you expected?
A: It's even better than what I expected. The way the whole team's come together so fast in four days and off the field, everyone's clowning around, it's pretty awesome. Seeing how well we've gotten along has been so cool. One thing that has struck me is how well this team gets along and how quickly it's happened.
Q: How does it feel to represent the United States in a global competition like this?
A: "Ever since I got that letter back in February, I've been like, "Wow -- I get to represent my country and it's gradually sunk in. Like the group of kids who came out to practice today, they're in the bleachers cheering, "U-S-A, U-S-A" -- it's hard to really wrap your head around the fact that we're wearing "USA" on our jerseys and helmets -- it's one of those things that you don't have anything to compare it to.
Q: How is this experience going to make you a better football player?
A: Without a doubt, the things I've already learned from (Team USA Offensive Line Coach) Coach Lenti (Chicago Mount Carmel H.S.) so far, I'm a better football player now than when I walked in here on Saturday and it's going to do wonders for me when it comes time for two-a-days in August. There's no better way to get ready to play football than to play football. I'm very blessed not only to play in this tournament, but to represent my country and learn from all of these phenomenal coaches. These coaches -- just look at their track records (10 high school head coaches, 155 years of experience, 33 state championships) -- that speaks for itself. I think if you're not willing to soak up what these guys have to teach you and learn from their wisdom, you're stupid and wasting your time, so, it's pretty cool.
Q: Are you keeping in touch with your Northwestern coaches while you're here?
A: Yeah, I'm staying in touch with my offensive line coach, Coach Adam Cushing, who actually played for Coach Lenti at Mount Carmel, so they're really close. I was texting him while we were on the field at the Indians game when Coach Kyle threw the first pitch (Tuesday) and I think Coach Lenti has called him a couple of times to tel him how I'm doing. So, there's been a channel of communication throughout camp.
Q: Have you started putting any work in specific to France (June 27 game)?
A: Not really. We're just learning the playbook right now. Coach Swenson's offense has a lot of different terminology that what most of us are used to. Where we're used to words, he does more with numbers, so for a lot of us, it's a little bit of a transition and we're figuring that out. Last night it got to a point where a lot of us are playing with more confidence and I think you saw that in today's practice (June 18), so we ewant to stop getting our butts kicked by our defense out there.
Q: Regarding that competiton, talk about the guys on this team that you're playing against in practice.
A: Oh, my goodness. The speed of these linebackers and defensive ends is incredible. In our first practice Sunday (6/14), I got down in my three-point and I think it was Chris Norman (Michigan State) about six feet away from me on the edge in one-on-ones and I was like, 'There's no way." I've never had to move so fast in my life to got to somebody and -- the speed, more so than the strength -- is what has caught my attention.