Super Bowl XXXVI

Q&A with Rams DE Grant Wistrom

Jan. 31, 2002

Q: Can you talk about New England’s offensive line, especially pass protection?

A: They do a great job of protecting their quarterback. They wouldn’t be here if they didn’t. I’m pretty positive tomorrow (Wednesday) I’ll be able to tell you all their names and numbers and maybe what they like to eat, too.

Q: How do you feel about your defense going into this game?

A: I feel pretty good about our defense. Everyone all year long has said the key to beating this defense is to run the football at us. Teams have had a little success, but not enough to beat us. I don’t anticipate this being any different. I’m sure they are going to come out and want to try and establish a running game. No matter who you’re playing I think the most important thing as a defense is to try and stop their running game, to make a team become one-dimensional and force them to throw the football. Then you can really lay your ears back as a defensive lineman and get after the quarterback.

Q: How has this experience been, being your second trip to the Super Bowl in three years?

A: It’s a little bit more fun. You enjoy it a little bit more. You’re a little bit more loose out here. I remember the last media day I was uptight, and not that I’m anybody now, but two years ago I played a smaller role on the team. But you just enjoy it because you may not have a chance to be here again.

Q: How confident was this team entering the 2001 season?

A: We knew that we were good, and I think a lot of people might have mistaken that for cockiness. I see it as confidence. We knew we had a good football team. We had as much or more talent than anybody else in this league in our meeting rooms. That was discussed the first day of mini-camp, that if we went out and played well every week, then we have every right and every opportunity to be where we are right now.

Q: What does it mean to be favored in the Super Bowl?

A: Obviously we feel that if we go out there and play as well as we possibly can, there’s really not a team in this league that can beat us. The two games that we lost this year I think we’ve pretty much beaten ourselves by turning over the football. If we hold onto the football and play good team defense like we can, not like we did last week in the first half, but the second half, then we should win every football game that we play. I honestly think — and I think if you ask most people that are in the NFL or have knowledge of football — they honestly can say that we have the most talent of anybody in the league. That doesn’t mean anything when you step on the field. You have to go out there and execute and play. That’s why the game is not won yet. That’s why the game is played on Sunday. You have to go out there and no matter who has the most talent, it usually comes down to who wants to win the most.

Q: Was it a motivating factor that there were doubters and people questioning the toughness of the defense?

A: I like it when people doubt us and question us. I hope somebody this week says the Patriots are going to hang 40 on us. It’s been like that all year long. People have questioned our toughness and you use that to fuel yourself. I think you have to play defense with a chip on your shoulder. You have to go out there every week like you have something to prove.

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