Ask The Bears Responses: Dameane Douglas
From JD McIntire in Las Vegas, NV:
How does frosh receiver Eddie Macha, from Atwater, CA look to you? Do you
think that he has the skills to make it in 1-A ball?
Dameane Douglas: "I haven't had a chance to see Eddie play yet, but from what I'm
told, he's a good athlete and he has good speed. You need to have that type
of speed to be successful in the Pac-10, so he has a chance to be a quality
player in this league. Like me, he's a valley athlete and so he'll have to
work hard to get respect in the Pac-10, just like I did."
From Mike Anthofer in Danville:
Dameane, I have always considered you a playmaker, which is an attribute
that few possess. With Bobby's graduation, what specific plans do you and
the team have to get the ball to you? Also, with your 40 time in the
spring, can we look to see you go vertical more and can Vedder get you the
ball?
DD: "I'm approaching this season a little different than past years,
because I know it's my time to take over a leadership role. I'm not scared
of pressure. I want to be 'The Man' and I'm ready for that challenge. I'd
like to get the ball as much as possible. I think our offense will run more
screens to get the football in my hands and let me make plays. This is
definitely my year to show I can make big plays. We're definitely going to
go deep more to stretch out the defense. But it's all inter-related and we
need to give Justin (Vedder) the time if we're throwing deep. That's a
7-step drop and so we'll have to have good blocking if we're going to be
more successful throwing the deep ball."
From Greg in Walnut Creek:
Last year Cal's secondary was the weak point of the team. That area has
been under a microscope this spring, and will continue to be during the
fall and throughout the season. Having had the oppurtunity to see and play
against the new faces in the secondary, how do you think that unit will do?
Are there any players in that unit that you expect to suprise Cal fans and
opponents alike? Have a great senior year at Cal. We have loved watching you!
DD: "Our secondary will be fine. You have to remember this will be
the first time they've had the same system in back-to-back years and that
familiarity and experience should pay off. It's a veteran group with
Marquis (Smith), Pete D. (Destefano) and Derrick (Gardner). With the
addition of Deltha, it's a pretty solid group. The biggest surprise could
be Mark Orr. He's the only DB I fear, because he really plays the ball good
when it's in the air, he's competitive and he has good speed. He's been
unfortunate with a couple injuries, but I think he could come on in a big
way this year."
From Will Lee in Pasadena:
Do you think the play of Marcus Fields and the running game will open up
the offense for you guys?
DD: "Definitely, Marcus Fields has a great future at running back.
It really depends on what team whether we'll use the pass game open up the
running game or the run game opening up the passing attack. With his size
and speed, he'll be a focal point on defensive coordinator's scouting
reports. He's too much of a threat to ignore. The other part is with Monte
Clark coming in as offensive line coach, he'll have an impact in getting
our running game going. I could see Marcus having a big year and I could
even see him rushing for 1,500 to 2,000 yards if everything falls into place."
From Pablo Monk in Los Angeles:
How do you rate Pac-10 defensive backs against other conferences? Are you
concerned about Nebraska's defense?
DD: "I rate the Pac-10 secondary best in the nation. You don't find
better athletes than you do week-in and week-out in the Pac-10. You never
really find a weak spot. I respect Nebraska's defense, but I'm not changing
my game up for any opponent. I'll just go out and play and have confidence
I'll have some success."
From Tom in Berkeley:
When you go out on a pattern, how do you balance the demand of being aware
of your defenders with the demand of concentrating on the pass reception?
In other words, do you temporarily block everything out except the ball in
the air, and then resume field consciousness mode, or what? Thanks.
DD: "When you practiced routes over and over again, you've run the
route mentally before you even get to the line of scrimmage, so that part
becomes almost automatic. You have to make some adjustments as the game
goes on, but mainly you want to be consistent because the passing game is
based on timing and you can't freelance too much. When the ball is in the
air, my total concentration is catching the football. I think my background
playing volleyball as a youth has been a big help. Timing a catch for a
ball in the air is like timing for a spike in volleyball. It's a matter of
concentration and timing."
From James in San Jose:
The Bears didn't really have a lot of speed at the receiver position for
deep threats. How is the receiving corps different from last year?
DD: "Getting free on a deep route isn't as much flat-out speed as it
is setting up a cornerback, getting him to turn the wrong way at a specific
time. I don't think that Bobby (Shaw) and myself had many opportunities to
show our speed and to provide a deep threat, because we didn't call those
plays very often. This year, the coaches are committed to stretching
opponent defenses and throwing the deep ball, because it can really help
open up the underneath routes."
From Rick Link in Richmond, CA:
Who is going to help take the heat off of you? Will Cal have a legit
receiving threat to balance you?
DD: "We have several receivers who could emerge as a balance on the
other side of the field. Joel Young is a great technician with really good
hands if he's healthy. Bruce Pierre played a lot last year and also has a
shot. Philip Pippersburg still needs a lot of experience but has great
speed. We also have a number of freshmen players who seem to have a lot of
talent. This is probably the deepest receiving corps in a number of years
and I have a strong belief that somebody will step up and develop into a
top threat."
From Greg in Walnut Creek:
I was curious as to what you thought about the quarterback situation this
season. There has been a lot of talk about the potential of Sam Clemons.
Justin Vedder on the other hand has a year's experience. As a receiver what
things do you like about each QB?
DD: "Both Justin and Sam are great leaders. They both have strong
presence on the field and both really love the game of football. Justin
does have that year of experience and that's a big factor. He feels more
comfortable in the pocket while Sam hasn't taken a hit yet in the pocket. I
think it will really benefit Sam to get one more year under his belt and
get his feet wet this year. But, he has such a great arm that I see him
breaking some records here at Cal. He gets the ball to you even if you're
barely open, because the ball get there so fast. I also gave him my number
(No. 5) this year so hopefully he'll be very successful. Justin is our
quarterback, but I'm a lot more comfortable having Sam in the No. 2
position this year as he's really made strides."
From Phil Moreland in Sacramento:
What sort of drills, conditioning, training do you do to improve speed and
quickness? Thanks for the answer and have a great year!!
DD: "I just starting working with our strength and conditioning
coach Todd Rice this past off-season and it's made a big difference. In six
weeks, I went from a 4.7 to a 4.4 time in the 40, so I know that the stuff
works. We do a lot of loaded sprints, with tires or bungee cords providing
resistance. We do a lot of Olympic lifts, squats, cleans and snatches which
helps your explosiveness. We've also working a lot more on our starts and
our running form, and it's obviously paid off."
From Peter Quinto in San Jose:
Do you see yourself as a pocession type of receiver or more of a deep threat?
DD: "I see myself as a total package. I love running deep routes,
but you need to have the reputation as a possession receiver if you want to
make it to the next level. Whether it's 4th-and-3 and we need a catch to
get us the first down or its 3rd-and-15 and need a big play, get me the
ball and I'll try to make the play."
From Dan Richardson in St Louis, MO:
What kind of goals do you have yourself and for the team this season?
DD: "For the team, the goal is definitely to win the conference. As
a senior at Hanford HS, we won the conference for the first time in several
years and I'd love to accomplish the same thing here at Cal. I'd like to
see our team win all our games at home and win maybe 3 out of 5 on the
road. To be successful, we need to get rid of stupid penalties that plagued
us last year and act more like a team on and off the field. For me
personally, I'd like to approach the same numbers I had as a senior in high
school -- 83 catches, 1300 yards and 13 touchdowns. I'd like to make 3
catches per quarter. I just want to be there for my teammates and help us
win. I'd love to become known as one of best receivers in Cal history. I
learned so much from Bobby (Shaw) and now I'd like to go out and put up
some good numbers and help Cal win the Pac-10 title."
