QUOTES FROM MARK DANTONIO'S PRESS CONFERENCE AT MSU MEDIA DAY

Mark Dantonio closed out the Michigan State football media day today with his press conference.  Here are the highlights:

ON BUBBA SMITH:

"I believe he's one of the greatest to play here.  One of the greatest defensive ends of all time."

"Almost 50 years of staying power, that name is still associated with Michigan State."

ON PRACTICE:

"Shorts days are days where you really try to get your legs underneath you."

ON CONCERNS:

"Health, any team that wants to have a great season needs to stay healthy through August."

"Offensive line, that is our inexperienced area.  We've got ability, we've got numbers.  We have enough guys that know our system we'll be able to move quickly."

ON LOOKING TO PAST SUCCESS:

"2011 is the next project."

"You can't always live on what happened in the past."

ON JEREL WORTHY:

"You can't put the cart before the horse.  He has to play well.  I think he understands that."

"He's learning as he moves forward."

"He has to slow down with the Twitter, but he'll be alright."

"(On Worthy's new tattoo) He's put it on his arm for life, so I guess it's personal."

ON THE PROGRESS OF THE PROGRAM:

"There are some good things, some things we need to get better at."

"I do think this program is moving forward, maybe faster than a lot of people thought."

"A program stands and endures.  It lasts a lifetime."

ON KIRK COUSINS' BIG TEN FOOTBALL KICKOFF SPEECH:

"Business as usual, not surprised at all."

"He doesn't so much always make those statements as he has that kind of impact on our players."

ON LARRY CAPER:

"Any time you go through some adversity it makes you stronger."

ON RUNNING BACKS:

"We really have 3 number 1 running backs."

"The only thing I'll say is 'if that guy is hot, put him in.'"

"They all have the ability to play in this league and be 'THE guy."

ON POTENTIAL CHANGES TO THE OFFENSE:

"I'm sure there will be subtle changes."

"I think Coach Roushar has done an excellent job so far."

ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE AND COACH ROUSHAR:

"Usually when you work with someone for that long you kind of take on their personality."

ON THE TIGHT ENDS:

"Last year I felt we had much the same situation, but Gantt was really the only one to stay healthy."

"Linthicum is back to running fine, he has no limp."

ON CHAMPIONSHIP RING:

"I put it in a little case where when you open it a light clicks on."

"I have taken it out to look at it or show it to a recruit but I like to focus on the task at hand."

ON THE PROGRAM'S CONFIDENCE:

"I hope that our program has confidence."

"When w'ere there I think everyone will know we're there."

"Good things are on the horizon, we're very poised, but we need to stay focused."

ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONFIDENCE AND SWAGGER:

"We don't show our ass."

ON B.J. CUNNINGHAM:

"We're gonna throw the ball here."

"We have a guy on who is on the verge of being the all time Michigan State leader.  That's a statement."

ON THE EXPERIENCE GAINED BY SOME OF THE YOUNG DEFENSIVE BACKS LAST SEASON:

"It's big."

"I thought he (Isaiah Lewis) played well when he was out there."

ON SOME OF THE OTHER YOUNG DEFENSIVE BACKS:

"Mylan Hicks is almost 200 lbs now.  I think he'll be a great player for us."

ON LOOKING AHEAD:

"I don't look at year 10 right now.  I look at what's going to happen in August."

ON WILLIAM GHOLSTON AND TYLER HOOVER:

"Both of those guys are bigger.  Will is about 275 now."

"They've got to retain their quickness.  So far it looks like they have."

ON DEALING WITH ADVERSITY:

"You learn something from the things you've gone through."

"It makes you stronger as a program, and more vigilant."