Transcript of Jets QB Mark Sanchez's interview with print reporters during locker room media availability Friday midday:
On his first practice…
It was fun. It was loud. It was intense. It was just what I expected. Coach Schottenheimer was great. He's talking to me on a different level, a real personal level. I felt comfortable hearing his voice and listening for his keys all through the play call. He's prepared me well. This is good.
On the toughest part right now…
It's difficult when you first come in. It's a new system so you want to just try and speak the language as soon as possible. I'm trying to get all of the terminology down. Me being tough on myself, I want it right every time and it is not always that way, especially not on the first weekend. But it has been a very successful first day. It was a good experience.
On if he realizes the expectations being placed on him…
I think so [laughter]. All I have prepared for is knowing that people expect results here and they want wins. I'm here to learn this playbook as fast as I can, mesh with the guys and start to lead. That is the gameplan.
On what makes today a good step…
No turnovers. That is huge. That is a big win for a quarterback any day. I felt like we did not have any fumbles or false-start penalties. Everyone was in tune and in sync. We moved the ball pretty well and hit some big completions. There are always a couple of plays you want back, but we will watch film and correct it.
On feedback he has received from fans…
I didn't get booed at the Mets' stadium. That's good. It was a lobbed pitch, but I didn't bounce it, thank God. It was great, just a whirlwind tour like I have explained before. It's a fun city, it's beautiful, but this is my home right here. It's not in the city. That was a one-week thing while my parents were here and now that they're gone, it's time to get to work.
On what people said to him on the train…
I'm trying to remember. One guy was selling his poetry books that he wrote. Some other guys came on the train playing their guitars and asking for money. I was wearing my Jets gear on the way to Columbia, so I rode that subway for a while. I didn't know about the express and the local so that was different. I hit every stop. It was fun. It was a good experience. You see a lot of different people and a lot of iPods. It was good.
On the play of Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco raising his expectations…
I think it raised a lot of other people's expectations of a rookie quarterback. They were really anomalies among rookies. That is pretty special what they did. They would be the first to say that they had a ton of help.
For me to be successful this year, for this team to be successful, it's about the defense playing well, playing well on special teams and the return game, and the offense moving the ball efficiently. It's not just on the quarterback. The quarterback takes a lot of the praise and blame, too much both ways. But it's just the way it works.
On winning the starting position…
That is still a ways away. Of course I'm expecting to play. That's what you want to do. You don't grow up dreaming to be a backup. That's just the way I feel about it. I'm going to compete like heck and we'll see what happens.
On the coldest game he has ever played…
I don't know. Not too cold. I don't know. I haven't played in snow. It'll be fine. It's football. I'll play anyway.
On his work ethic…
That is something I started in grade school growing up, staying after practice with my dad and coming home late for dinner with mom. That is just in your makeup. Competing with my brothers growing up, always trying to be better than them and them being 12 and eight years older than me was a lot. Even in school it was always that way, no talking back to your teacher, doing extra multiplication tables. Things like that were important to us and my dad impressed that upon us.
On his father working with him…
It's funny because Coach Schottenheimer did the same thing today like when we would shoot free throws or throwing routes do something like that; my dad would hold up fingers and make you see the fingers to go through your reads correctly. Coach Schottenheimer was holding up fingers over here and knowing what was on the second read, we would have to drop back and look at our first read to make it real and then say, 'OK, take my side to five and throw it to the back side.'
Or when we were shooting free throws, my dad would start yelling at us or throw out multiplication tables while you are shooting. Or right when you were about to let the ball go, he'd yell "Stop, stop, stop!" or "Hold on, hold on!" and grab the ball and wait and then give it back to you and have you continue what you were doing. It was all prepping for this and he had a vision early on, but it is really paying off.
On if there are similarities in his college playbook and the Jets playbook…
Oh, absolutely. And these plays, you just have to run the play. There is no substitute for experience like that, in practice or in games. You've just got to run the plays and say it over and over. I'm practicing play calls in the mirror last night in the hotel just so I can say it and hear what it sounds like to me, then keep reviewing and studying and bring the guys along with me.
On if he is worried about filling the shoes of past quarterbacks…
No, it's about this team right now, with full respect to the history here. But Coach Ryan came in and we're looking forward. This is a new team, a new mentality, and he has us going in the right direction and we're all going to follow.
On if he was literally standing in front of the mirror Thursday night...
Oh, absolutely. It was late. I had an early wakeup call, so not much sleep. It was good. It's what I wanted to happen today.
On if there was any point today where he was unsure of what was going on…
Not really. In that situation, as a rookie, you just have to go play and go on your instincts and just be a quarterback and handle it, assess the situation. Fix it if there is something wrong. If not, go play and figure it out later.
On the grade he'd give himself for his first practice…
I don't know. That's up to you guys, isn't it? [laughter] You guys give me a grade. I'll watch the film and let you know in the afternoon.
On what he has to say to the people who question his arm strength…
Deceptively strong, right? [smiles]
On what it was like to be back on a field…
It was good. Going through the combine process and the draft process, everything's so rigid. You drop back five steps and throw. In a game, it never happens that way. You are moving one way or another, you're checking things and it's not always perfect, so today it was good to get back in the role of playing the game, managing situations, assessing things and fixing it.
On what if feels like to be a Jet…
It's great. My locker nameplate is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. It was so special. My family was in here. We were taking pictures in here holding up the jersey together. It is pretty special.
On settling in off the field…
I'm not positive. I don't know if I want to give out my address [laughter]. I have no clue. We have three days, starting today until Sunday. Then I'm going home. I have one final to take and then I am graduating May 15. Arnold Schwarzenegger is coming to graduation if you want to come check it out. Then I'm flying back, we can start on [May 18], so I'm back for that and that's when I'm going to really figure out what I'm going to do.
On what will happen the first time he receives criticism…
Well, I'll figure it out then, but I heard some sports radio just to get a taste of it. They were talking about other teams, stick and ball teams in New York.
On what he thinks of the criticism…
It's the fans. They want wins. They want results. And when you don't win and there's a problem, they want to know why.
On why he has a wrap on his knee…
I don't know. The training staff asked me to wear it. But I feel great.
On what class his final is in…
Com 322. Argumentation and Application. I studied on the plane. Don't worry. I'll bring you my report card.
