University of California Athletics

Being a left-handed quarterback, would having a left-handed center make it easier for you to take the snaps? Or does it matter whether the center is left- or right-handed? - From Dan Titelbaum in Oakland, CA.

VEDDER: "It really doesn't matter at all. One of our younger centers here, Joe Majors, is left-handed and last year when Jeremy Newberry broke his hand he snapped the ball left-handed. It just makes no difference, because the ball always arrives the same with the seems against my fingers."

Your ability to go "deep" was criticized last year and by season's end it appeared defenses were packing in the short zones and taking away some of your options. What have you done in the offseason to strengthen your arm, or is that not the problem? - From Steve Overcashier in El Dorado Hills, CA.

VEDDER: "We have a great strength program at Cal and I think that has made a big difference in the off-season in terms of my arm strength. There's definitely a difference. The other thing is that we've made the long ball a priority this season. We're practicing it more and both the receivers and myself understand how important it is to our overall offensive success. I feel physically stronger and combined with our new emphasis, I believe will make a big difference."

Justin, what was the biggest lesson you learned while playing in the PAC-10 last year? - From Turley in Fremont, CA.

VEDDER: "The biggest thing I learned is that if you're one count late, it's too late. You have to have your game down, understand what's going on, and just react. Things happens so quickly. I think having gone through it for a year will make a major difference."

I read that O'Neal is going from tailback to DB. How will this impact the running game? Can the offensive line make up for the loss of Newberry? - From Dan in Westchester, CA.

VEDDER: "You don't like to lose a talent like Deltha, but we're really set with a guy like Marcus Fields. He's going to be a big-time back in the Pac-10. I also think we'll come together on the offensive line. It may not be until the fall until we have all the pieces together, but I feel confident that we'll have a solid offensive line."

Justin, I'm really looking forward to this season and hope my son Eddie will be receiving some of your passes. Besides the end-zone, what is your favorite spot on the field to throw to? - From Rob Macha in Merced, CA.

VEDDER: "I like throwing the out-routes, or comeback routes -- anything towards the sidelines. I really can't tell you why, but I like throwing those patterns."

What do you like the most about playing football at Cal? - From Judy Jacobs in Mission Viejo, CA.

VEDDER: "I like playing in the best football conference in the nation - the Pac-10 and I really like playing with the guys on my team here at Cal."

Who do you think will be the most influential of all the new recruits? What do you think of the new recruits overall? - From Jeff Oase in Pleasanton, CA.

VEDDER: "I'm pretty excited about our recruiting class and the possibility of many of them making an impact this year. Obviously, the key element is the wide receiver group. We probably need two of them to step up and make a big contribution. I've seen film on Mike Ainsworth and Ronnie Davenport and they both have a lot of talent, but all of the receivers coming in have impressive credentials and I can't wait to work with them."

Did having the name Justin make you a better football player? - From Justin Pham (age 7) in Santa Clara, CA.

VEDDER: "It didn't make me a better football player, but it's a great name to have. I hope you like it as much."

We entered last season with some very high (and perhaps unreasonable) expectations. Given the makeup of the team this year, with the players we have added and the players we are returning, where do you see Cal ending up in 1998? - From Larry Johnson in Shasta, CA.

VEDDER: "I can't predict exactly where we'll end up, but the thing I notice the most this year is how good our defense is going to be this year. I think it's a force that has to be reckoned with in the Pac-10. If we struggle at all on offense, they're going to give us a chance and allow us an opportunity to win games. For that reason alone, I think we're going to be much better this year. The other thing we learned last year was that the difference between ninth place and first place was not that significant. I think with the improvement we've made, we're going to move up in the standings."

Justin, What is the team's attitude about the upcoming season? Do you see yourselves as the ninth place team from a year ago, or do you guys try not to think about last year and simply focus on 1998? It seems the team was a few plays away from being very respectable last year and just missed. Can you guys get over the hump and make the important plays this year? - From Chris Davidson in Hermosa Beach, CA.

VEDDER: "We have some individuals like Dameane Douglas and Marcus Fields who have a lot of big-play ability and I think we'll be more explosive this year because of that. If we can put together a few more big plays, that's going to make a big difference in our win-loss record. That may be a big key for us this year and I think you'll notice a much improved performance in that area."

Justin, do you feel that you will be able to improve on last year's performance? Throughout the season last year, I saw you getting better every Saturday. - From Chris Leary in Fair Oaks, CA.

VEDDER: "I can definitely improve. I've taken steps in the winter and spring conditioning to become a better quarterback and I think I have. Coach Holmoe has said that he's noticed a drastic difference in the way I look this spring compared to last spring and I feel that way as well. The biggest thing that I think will make a difference is my footwork -- getting my feet in the right position to make the proper decisions. I generally make the right decisions 90 to 95 percent of the times and oftentimes the thing that messes up the wrong decisions is when my feet aren't in the right position."

Hello! How do you think your playing style has changed now that you have been playing Pac-10 football for a year? - From Greg in Walnut Creek, CA.

VEDDER: "It's had to. From my time in junior college, I was too caught up in running around and making plays. I can't do that here. I have to realize that my job, my only job, is to sit in the pocket and make the right throw. Occasionally, I may have to dodge a person in the pocket, but I have to get through my progression of reads and let the offense work. It's my job and I'm going to do it."

What is the most important part of game-day preparation for you? - From Dennis Noren in Campbell, CA.

VEDDER: "The most important thing for me is to stay relaxed but also be completely focused. I don't worry about running every play through my head because by game day it should be done. I just go out and react. My big thing is something I picked up from Troy Taylor and that's being like Indiana Jones. A quarterback has to be like Indiana Jones -- being cool and calm under pressure and being ready to crack the whip. We listen to Indiana Jones music before we go on the field."

Which area in the game that you think you should improve and how do you rate our receivers? - From Joe Sasaki in Tokyo, Japan.

VEDDER: "The part of the game I want to improve on is my understanding of how much you have to focus. If you're reading a defense or a pass route, you can't notice anything else. If a defender runs by me or even touches my facemask, my eyes and my focus should still be entirely downfield. I think I've improved in that area, but that's an area I'm concentrating on. I think our receivers will be good this year. Dameane Douglas will emerge this year as one of the top receivers in the Pac-10 and some of our other guys or freshmen will be great complements."

How do you compare your team to the rest of the Pac-10? - From T.J. Wait in Berkeley, CA.

VEDDER: "Nobody expected UCLA or Washington State to have the years they had last year, so it's hard to know how this season is going to turn out. We've already played all the teams on our '98 schedule, except for Nebraska. We have an understanding about those opponents and their abilities, and given that I think we all feel that there's not a team on our schedule that we shouldn't expect to beat."

Aunt Lynn wants to know, is Justin is eating right and getting enough sleep? - From Chris and Lynn Holzner in Holland, PA.

VEDDER: "I'm eating right but I might not be getting enough sleep because I have too many finals coming up. I'll see you guys when you come out for the Nebraska game."

I want to start off by saying you had an incredible first season and I expect to see great things to happen with you running the offense. What strides have you and this offense taken since last preseason? - From James in San Jose, CA.

VEDDER: "The biggest thing for us is the understanding that all 11 players on offense holds a very important piece to the puzzle. Nothing works if one guy messes up and that gets back to the word 'team.' I think we're going to work well as a unit and not just as individuals and that should translate into more success this year."