Army Football Media Day - Players Quotes - Part II

Freshman Quarterback, Angel Santiago

On the Beast experience

"Coming from the prep school really helped with that. I wasn't as nervous as I was the first time. I kind of knew what to do and knew where to go, where I had little bit of an edge on the direct admits."

"As far the training, I really enjoyed the training .... it was really insightful and helpful. It was good opportunity for me to learn and become more of the officer I will become in the future."

On officially wearing the Black & Gold of Army

"It's like it's finally here. When I was at the prep school, I was like man, when am I going to get that uniform {chuckling}. So now that I have it on it's like .... it feels right, it feels right."

On contributing as a freshman

"My goal is basically to contribute to the team like .... well, I know that Trent's the guy now and I can learn a lot from him, he runs the offense very well, he's persistent, makes great reads and good decisions, so I can learn a lot from him."

"But I think I can bring a different type ... more of an exciting style, where I can make a bigger play here, a bigger play there."

On his style of play

"I'm pretty comfortable within the offense. So I know which reads to make, where I know when to pull and when to pitch. And so, when I'm in the open field, my mentality that I have to score ... that's my mentality and I'm going to do what can to get into that end zone ... within the offense. Because when you start going out the offense, that's when mistakes start to happen, so I play within the offense."

"I feel that I kind of shake things up a little bit ... yes, I stay to the traditions and fundamentals but I like to put a lot of fakes in there. It kind of represents my personality."

On former prep school offensive teammates

"Lawrence (Chevaughn) and I have very good chemistry. Even during the offseason we were hitting the routes and good timing so I'm pretty confident there ... he will do big things here. As for Dixon (Larry) and Turrentine (Trenton), the best two backs that I have ever played with. The explosiveness they bring to the game and they are also very smart .... they know exactly what to do and how to do it. We compliment each other very well."

Junior Defensive Tackle, A.J. Mackey

Expectation for 2011

"I'm looking forward to the season. I need prepare myself better. Last year I wasn't as prepared as I needed to be. This year I took the offseason to get better and work on my technique even though I was injured during spring ball. But I use that time to rehab and get better .... during the summer I had to work even harder to get back to where I was."

On playing next to his brother (Jarrett)

"It's going to bring me back to our high school days, because we always played side by side. This year will be like a homecoming, because we'll be side by side again ... playing ball. I got a taste of that last year against Air Force when I got the start at the other tackle spot. We have already talked about how fun it's going to be to turn to our left and right and see each other."

"We already know what pumps us and if one of us makes a mistake, how to make the other clear it and move on ... and feed off each other."

On the young defense

"We're very optimistic. We are going to be as great as we want to be. We are n't looking like we lost all of these people, the younger guys are stepping up and the plebes are coming in and we are trying to get them up to speed, so they can make a contribution, algong with being prepared."

Freshman vs. Junior

"Freshman year, you come here and it's this military stuff and you are just trying to get by. But this year I was beast cadre for the new cadets ... so this year I was on the other side and teaching/drilling them. I got to see the other side and going through that makes you love this place even more. Because you actually feel what it's like to be a leader and people you are responsible for. When you are a plebe, you are just being told what to do and you have to do it without any rhyme or reason."

"Being a squad leader this year, it showed me how I want to lead when I get my commission."

"This is what I also have to do with the plebe players here. Even when they don't do things 100% right, they have to know to do it full speed."

Senior Linebacker, Andrew Rodriguez

On his rehab

"I got the go ahead to start increasing in practice. I have been doing running with the trainers just moving through different movements and it's been going well so far. We just have to see how it progresses."

Spring ball observation

"I saw a lot of talent. We have a lot of younger guys that maybe haven't played in a lot of games, there ... but there's great talent level, great desire to learn and great effort. With our coaching staff who are so good at molding players, I think we have a good opportunity to have a great defense."

A-Rod, who had two surgeries to deal his hernia disc injury is currently logged in at 6-foot-2, 213 pounds.