Safety Vaughn Telemaque says fans can expect a new attitude from him on the football field this season.
"I used to like to talk to quarterbacks, wide receivers, get in their head and play mind games with them," Telemaque said. "I kind of lost that knack. I lost me, was trying to fit in. I guess more chances (to do that will happen). I want to talk to these quarterbacks, let them know I'm here, try me. That's the attitude I want to have."
Telemaque says he hopes this can be the year the team makes that jump back up to championship level.
"We brought in," Telemaque said. "When I say buying in, coach (Randy) Shannon is telling us we're not young kids anymore. We've developed into our own players, personalities, the personalities he recruited, molded to try and make this a national championship team, an ACC championship team. We understand what coach Shannon wants us to do, what our coaches want us to do, what fans want us to do, what us as a team want to do. We should come out fine. We just all have to buy in, understand this is what we want.
"If everybody doesn't worry about who gets the credit, we'll be the best team ever."
* In 7-on-7 work Telemaque says players stepping up are Brandon Harris ("he's taken his game to a whole new level"), Damien Berry ("he's catching balls out of the backfield"), Marcus Forston - "We call him `Boom' - he's making his comeback now"), and Telemaque also said "the quarterback play has been good."
Telemaque said at receiver that "all the receivers" are doing well.
"Hank [Leonard Hankerson] can go deep and then the next play run a screen," Telemaque said. "Hank will be a standout once again. LaRon will be a good changeup for everybody. I really like Kendal Thompkins, too. He's real shifty, has a knack for the end zone and is just gong to make big plays for us.
"This receiving corps has so much potential. I know there are great receiver corps out there, but I think we have the best one."
* How have things changed for him entering this year?
"I feel I can step in and be a vocal leader," he said. "I actually have experience now, so what I say isn't coming out of the air. And I'm just trying to take everybody in and make sure we buy into this program."
* Of Ray Ray Armstrong, Telemaque said, "he's a big kid, has a great attitude, is willing to learn. We want to get better, our plusses and minuses, work together. The best thing about Ray Ray - he's a winner. When he speaks out, then everybody wants to listen. And I feed off that, too. We want to go out there and compete, be like two wild animals ready to make plays and carry the team as much as we can."
Of Jamal Reid, Telemaque said, "He is always learning. He's always asking questions. The thing I like about JReid, he's really dynamic. He can play corner, is really fast, really smart, and he loves football. He's a winner. He likes to crack jokes, he's not all serious. He likes to set off the tempo, get everyone comfortable and then we go ahead and play football."
* Telemaque likes the depth he's seeing on the team.
"Competition is everything," Telemaque said. "That's the greatest thing about right now. We have a lot of competition. Our practice can be a lot of our games. If we practice the way we play, we should be fine."
* Of the overall team this year, Telemaque said, "I haven't felt this way about a team since my senior year of high school. It's the genuine feeling that at every position there's no flaw, at every position someone can make a play."
* Telemaque says having end Allen Bailey back is a huge boost for the defense. Telemaque says the sky is the limit for what Bailey can accomplish.
"Allen can be the best anyone's seen come out of the University of Miami," Telemaque said. "He's a big play guy, wants to be a winner, be remembered as a champion."
* Telemaque says getting some work at cornerback in the spring was helpful for him.
"I got to speak to Ed Reed - he said this can help you with what these corners are going through - where's your vulnerable points - it carries your safety position to another level," Telemaque said. "You can understand routes, where the quarterback is trying to fit the ball, where you can fit in the void (as a safety)."
Telemaque knows the safety tradition at UM.
"If you want to (be like the past great safeties) you have to work as hard or harder," Telemaque said. "(We want to) keep that legacy going, that tradition."
* Telemaque says overall that "I'm excited. Guys have been working hard. We're ready to get this camp on and going."
* Telemaque pointed to Colin McCarthy, Brandon Harris and Sean Spence as the vocal leaders on defense.
"(And) Micanor Regis has been stepping up, and I try to be a vocal leader in whatever way I can," Telemaque said.
"I used to like to talk to quarterbacks, wide receivers, get in their head and play mind games with them," Telemaque said. "I kind of lost that knack. I lost me, was trying to fit in. I guess more chances (to do that will happen). I want to talk to these quarterbacks, let them know I'm here, try me. That's the attitude I want to have."
Telemaque says he hopes this can be the year the team makes that jump back up to championship level.
"We brought in," Telemaque said. "When I say buying in, coach (Randy) Shannon is telling us we're not young kids anymore. We've developed into our own players, personalities, the personalities he recruited, molded to try and make this a national championship team, an ACC championship team. We understand what coach Shannon wants us to do, what our coaches want us to do, what fans want us to do, what us as a team want to do. We should come out fine. We just all have to buy in, understand this is what we want.
"If everybody doesn't worry about who gets the credit, we'll be the best team ever."
* In 7-on-7 work Telemaque says players stepping up are Brandon Harris ("he's taken his game to a whole new level"), Damien Berry ("he's catching balls out of the backfield"), Marcus Forston - "We call him `Boom' - he's making his comeback now"), and Telemaque also said "the quarterback play has been good."
Telemaque said at receiver that "all the receivers" are doing well.
"Hank [Leonard Hankerson] can go deep and then the next play run a screen," Telemaque said. "Hank will be a standout once again. LaRon will be a good changeup for everybody. I really like Kendal Thompkins, too. He's real shifty, has a knack for the end zone and is just gong to make big plays for us.
"This receiving corps has so much potential. I know there are great receiver corps out there, but I think we have the best one."
* How have things changed for him entering this year?
"I feel I can step in and be a vocal leader," he said. "I actually have experience now, so what I say isn't coming out of the air. And I'm just trying to take everybody in and make sure we buy into this program."
* Of Ray Ray Armstrong, Telemaque said, "he's a big kid, has a great attitude, is willing to learn. We want to get better, our plusses and minuses, work together. The best thing about Ray Ray - he's a winner. When he speaks out, then everybody wants to listen. And I feed off that, too. We want to go out there and compete, be like two wild animals ready to make plays and carry the team as much as we can."
Of Jamal Reid, Telemaque said, "He is always learning. He's always asking questions. The thing I like about JReid, he's really dynamic. He can play corner, is really fast, really smart, and he loves football. He's a winner. He likes to crack jokes, he's not all serious. He likes to set off the tempo, get everyone comfortable and then we go ahead and play football."
* Telemaque likes the depth he's seeing on the team.
"Competition is everything," Telemaque said. "That's the greatest thing about right now. We have a lot of competition. Our practice can be a lot of our games. If we practice the way we play, we should be fine."
* Of the overall team this year, Telemaque said, "I haven't felt this way about a team since my senior year of high school. It's the genuine feeling that at every position there's no flaw, at every position someone can make a play."
* Telemaque says having end Allen Bailey back is a huge boost for the defense. Telemaque says the sky is the limit for what Bailey can accomplish.
"Allen can be the best anyone's seen come out of the University of Miami," Telemaque said. "He's a big play guy, wants to be a winner, be remembered as a champion."
* Telemaque says getting some work at cornerback in the spring was helpful for him.
"I got to speak to Ed Reed - he said this can help you with what these corners are going through - where's your vulnerable points - it carries your safety position to another level," Telemaque said. "You can understand routes, where the quarterback is trying to fit the ball, where you can fit in the void (as a safety)."
Telemaque knows the safety tradition at UM.
"If you want to (be like the past great safeties) you have to work as hard or harder," Telemaque said. "(We want to) keep that legacy going, that tradition."
* Telemaque says overall that "I'm excited. Guys have been working hard. We're ready to get this camp on and going."
* Telemaque pointed to Colin McCarthy, Brandon Harris and Sean Spence as the vocal leaders on defense.
"(And) Micanor Regis has been stepping up, and I try to be a vocal leader in whatever way I can," Telemaque said.