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Q&A with Macon head coach Kevin Porter

August 19, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


Macon Knights head coach Kevin Porter has coached in arenafootball2 for four years and has the more wins than any other af2 coach. He has taken his teams to the af2 playoffs every season, but has never won the ArenaCup. That could all change this Saturday when his Knights take on the Tulsa Talons for the 2003 ArenaCup at 7:30 p.m.

As he prepares for the biggest game of his four-year af2 coaching career, Porter took time to share his thoughts about the Knights journey to the title game, including a 51-48 victory over Tennessee Valley last week, and what its going to take for the Knights to become the 2003 ArenaCup Champions.

Q: What has gotten the Knights to the where they are now playing for the ArenaCup Championship?

Kevin Porter: Determination. These guys have just continued to work and believe in each other and believe in the system. I can't say enough about how positive they have been when faced with adversity.

Q: The win over Tennessee Valley (in the American Conference Championship game) was huge. How does that rank on your all-time list of games as a player or a coach?

KP: It ranks up there pretty high. It wasn't Auburn-Alabama or Chiefs-Raiders, but it's up their pretty high.

Q: All year long you've stressed that in order to win you've got to cut down on turnovers. The first two playoff games you guys forced five turnovers and didn't surrender any. Last week you have two takeaways, but turned the ball over three times. Do you feel lucky to escape with the win?

KP: We had done a pretty good job in the turnover area up until last week. Fortunately our defense was able to go out and respond each time and not give up any points after each mistake.

Q: What did you tell the defense before the goal-line stand?

KP: What we always say when teams get close...make them earn it. Make them earn every inch.

Q: Wilson had been struggling in the game. Was it a tough decision to kick the field goal?

KP: It wasn't a tough decision at all. Wes is solid and I have great confidence in his ability to do his job.

Q: Moving on past the American Conference Championship, you guys are playing a team that you haven't faced this season and only had two common opponents with. What do you know about Tulsa?

KP: I think Tulsa is similar to what we have been able to do here in Macon. Both teams and organizations have tried to build on past seasons and take it to the next level. Skip (Foster) does a good job with his team. His background is a perfect fit for Arena Football and his teams compete.

Q: What are you focusing on this week in practice?

KP: Execution mostly. We feel that we really have to focus on our game. If we can get better with our execution in all phases then we have a good shot at winning this thing.

Q: Talk about the play of your defense and how doest it matchup against the veteran-studded lineup of Tulsa?

KP: Craig (Strickland) is a good football player. (Mitch) Allner and (Tacoma) Fontaine are all star-caliber and Shon King will go down as one of the greatest offensive players in the history of this league, so we have our work cut out for us. But I feel good about the way we have played defense over the last eight weeks. For us to be successful we have to play well up front and get after the quarterback.

Q: How important is it to have veteran guys in leadership roles on this team...Douzart, Alfred, Rumph, Berger, Slappey and pretty much the entire line?

KP: Our leadership has come to the front lately. I think Jermaine has a lot to do with that. When the quarterback plays well, everyone else seems to step up. I'm really glad for (Byron) Douzart, (André) Slappey, J.J. (Jarrett Jones) and Dino (Denario Smalls). They have been with me for three years and it's good to see all their hard work pay off.

Q: Your teams have made the playoffs four years in a row (Pensacola 2000, Macon 2001-03) what would an ArenaCup Championship mean to you?

KP: It would mean a great deal to me and my family. Coaching at this level is a tough gig that involves a lot of sacrifice on everyone's part, so that would make it very rewarding. But I want to do this for my owner, Beverly (Olson), because she has stuck with this.



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